Kingdom Hearts: Light and Dark
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Sora and Kairi's children, Yami and Hikari, are called to defend the new Princess of Heart.  They must protect Serah Farron from an unknown threat.  Can they save her and make it back home alive?  Part 4 of the "Hearts" series.
1. Darkness and Light

Author's Note: Hey, I know I said I wouldn't post this until Hearts of the Olympians was finished, but I re-read it and the Hearts of the Olympians spoilers are not as bad as I previously thought. Anyone who has read up to chapter 7 of HotO should already know what's mentioned in this story. Just a quick intro, this is my OC, Yami Nomura. She's the 20-year-old daughter of Sora and Kairi that makes an appearance as a four-year-old in A Heart Divided. This takes place 16 years after A Heart Divided. I have no idea how long I will make this, but have so many ideas for it. Enjoy...

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><p>The day was just like any other for me, really. I woke up and took a shower. I tried to get to it before my idiot brother did. He never left any hot water for me! It pissed me off when he would use it all up. Dad was the same way. I may have looked like dad the most, but Hikari was the most like him. I put on a pair of shorts and a black tank top, combed my constantly unruly brunette hair, and brushed my teeth.<p>

I walked downstairs and met my family for breakfast. My parents were Sora and Kairi Nomura, the legendary Keyblade Masters from the Destiny Islands, who destroyed the threat of Master Xehanort and brought peace to the worlds. They pretty much put this little world on the map. Hikari and I had pretty big shoes to fill. He and I were our parents' apprentices. His Keyblade, Wayward Wind, was short, tan, and oddly shaped. It was specially designed to be wielded backhanded, the handle on the side of the shaft as opposed to being part of the shaft. The teeth were spread apart and looked like half of a mechanical gear. Mine was a hand-me-down from mom. It was her Destiny's Embrace Keyblade. She had since acquired a new one. It was long, curved, and gray like iron. The teeth of it looked like stalactites, the guard around the handle looked like the mouth of a cave, and the Keychain was a diamond on a white, braided rope.

Hikari was destroying the eggs and bacon mom had fried. Occasionally, he would accidentally get a lock of his long, blood-red hair in his mouth and gag. I'd laugh, of course. That's what sisters did, right? "Hey mom, hey dad," I said as I sat down at the table.

My parents didn't look at all like they were 40. Dad's hair was still the same chocolate brown that it had been all his life. I'd seen old pictures from when he was young. Mom, she was just as beautiful as she was when we were little. I wasn't sure if she was our real mother or not, though. Neither of us looked particularly like her. She had purple eyes and long, reddish blond hair that came halfway down her back. She and dad insisted that she was our real mother, but I felt that they were hiding something from us. I distinctly remember from when I was four, another woman that looked exactly like Hikari. She had violet eyes and crimson hair. She had the exact same sweet smile that mom had, but there was something different…more visible Light in that woman's heart. Maybe I was just dreaming of this other woman. Hikari didn't seem to think about it, or even care for that matter. Honestly, I didn't care if Kairi was my real mother or not. She was my mom and I loved her.

"Goodmorning, Yami," Dad greeted.

"Goodmorning, Yami," Mom echoed.

"Hey," I said. I sat there in silence and devoured my food as fiercely as Hikari did. We were Keyblade Apprentices, which meant all our training had us constantly hungry. We were like bottomless pits when it came to food. I finished even before Hikari did. "Thanks, mom," I said. "That was delicious."

"You're welcome," she said lovingly. Kairi was truly everything I wanted to be, real mother or not. "Are you ready to train some more?"

"You know it, mom," I said eagerly. I loved training with her. She didn't hold back like dad always did. She was tough and that made me want to be tougher.

She drove us to the docks where her boat was tied up. We were going to the little island that was about a mile out to sea. We always trained there. Mom said it used to be where she, dad, and their best friend Riku would play when they were younger. "Mom," I asked. "Can I ask you a question and will you be totally honest with me?"

"Of course, Yami," she said. "You can ask me anything."

"Are you really my real mother?" I asked for the millionth time. "And don't lie. I want the absolute truth. It won't change how I feel about you if you aren't my real mother because you were there for me when she wasn't."

"Yami, I don't know how you could think such a thing," she said. I regretted asking her again because I could see that it hurt Kairi…mom. "I'm your real mother. I carried you and Hikari for 9 months, raised you for the past 20 years, and have given you two all of my love."

"I know you love us," I said, trying to make her feel better. Great, I'd screwed up what was supposed to be a wonderful day of training with mom. "That's not what I meant. I just want to know why Hikari and I don't even bear any resemblance to you. I look like dad, but he looks like someone else. And I think I remember that woman. She had long red hair like he does and violet eyes."

"You're just imagining it," she said hastily, which let me know she was hiding something. "That woman doesn't exist."

I dropped the subject right there. I didn't want to make mom cry. She'd been through a lot in her life and I was being an insensitive daughter…stepdaughter…whatever I was to her. "I'm sorry, mom," I said apologetically. "I love you."

"I love you too, Yami," she said as we pulled up to the docks. We both got in the rowboat and paddled to the small island. I always loved being on the water. It was so refreshing. If I could, I would swim to the island. But Keyblade or no, I would still be helpless to the currents because I wasn't proficient in water magic yet. Mom told me about how a friend of hers almost drowned out here a long time. She was saved by this guy, but he was carried off by a strong current and died.

We arrived on the island and walked to the middle of the little stretch of beach we always practiced on. Mom drew her Keyblade and I mirrored her action. Destiny's Embrace materialized in my hand and I gripped the cold, leather-bound steel of the handle. I thought it was heavy the first time I used it, but now I was used to the weight. Mom and I kicked off our flip-flops and prepared to fight in a friendly sparring match.

Mom charged at me with full force and I rolled out of the way of a powerful Firaga spell she sent my way. The sand that the deadly fireball made contact with instantly turned to glass. Her Keyblade came down at me and I blocked it at just the right moment. I slashed at mom, trying to find weak points in her defense. And I wasn't doing a good job at that. Our Keyblades clashed violently as we dueled on the soft, scorching hot sand. I was having fun just being with mom, training so that one day, I might be a Master like her and dad. They promised they would be extra tough when they gave me and Hikari our Mark of Mastery exam. Mom said that dad was hard on her, so she'd be hard on me. I laughed, but had the feeling that she wasn't kidding.

I was eventually wearing down, and mom could see that I was. She took advantage of this and hurled a Fire Raid at me. I tried to dodge, but I didn't make it. The blade struck me on the left side of my waist, the flames cauterizing my wound. I collapsed to the sand in absolute agony, sand getting in the deep, deadly gash mom had inflicted upon me. The pain took my breath away. Under normal circumstances, I would have probably died from that, but mom was a powerful sorceress as well as Keyblade Master, the two actually going hand in hand as dad and Riku were proficient in magic as well. She cast Curaga on the cut and it healed up quickly, not even leaving a scar. "Come on, Yami," mom said, "you would have never survived the Battle of 1000 Heartless that your father fought singlehandedly. Step up the game!"

'Easy for you to say,' I thought. She'd been a Keyblade wielder for twenty-five years. I was just her student. I wasn't anywhere near as great as she was, or dad, Master Riku, Master Terra, and Master Aqua.

"Bring it on, mom," I said as I prepared to duel with her again. We fought on the sand for what felt like hours. Eventually, we both started to tire. Mom dismissed her Keyblade in surrender and I did the same as we both collapsed next to each other on the sand. "Whew," I said. "That was great, mom."

"Yeah," she said, panting. She wasn't as young as she used to be, but you could never tell by looking at her. She was forty years old as of the week before, but she didn't look a day over twenty-nine. "You're getting a lot stronger, but there's something that worries me, Yami."

I looked at her, puzzled. "What is it?" I asked.

"I sensed your Darkness," she said. "It was getting more powerful. You need to learn to keep it in check. I've seen the consequences time and time again."

"I know," I said. "You told me about Riku, the Olympians, and Master Terra's apprentice." Out of all the stories, the one about Terra's fallen apprentice scared me the most. She had been sixteen years old at the time, younger than me. Mom and dad said I met her once when I was four, but I don't remember since I was so young. She let her Darkness overtake her and it ended up killing her. I could only imagine what Master Terra was going through. And Master Kevin, he was in love with her. I didn't want to end up like that poor girl.

"Yes, but I also want you to understand that it's not wrong to use your Darkness," mom added. "We named you Yami for a reason. Your name means Darkness, just as Hikari's means Light. I don't want you to become narrow-minded when it comes to Light and Darkness. They aren't opposing forces, they are symbiotic in nature. They thrive together. Master Riku walks the line of Twilight, between Light and Darkness."

Mom's words did little to ease my mind about the Darkness. I was scared, terrified of it. I tried to guard my heart from it as best I could. I didn't want to die the same, horrible death that Terra's apprentice had. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't keep it suppressed forever. I wished I was a Princess of Heart so I wouldn't have to deal with it. I wished for a heart of pure Light. "Whatever you say, mom," I said.

"I love you Yami," she said as she put her arm around my shoulder and we stared off into the ocean.

"Love you too, mom," I replied.

We eventually decided to head back home. The four of us were going to go to Riku's house and visit for a while. He had told dad that he found out something important and wanted to tell us.

When we got home, dad and Hikari were asleep, as always. Sundays were mom and dad's day off work, so dad slept all day. Mom just laughed and called him her "lazy bum" before tapping him on the head to wake him up. "Wake up, Sor," Mom said, kissing dad lightly on the cheek.

His cerulean eyes fluttered open and met mom's one-of-a-kind purple eyes. I thought it was so sweet that, after twenty-two years of marriage, they were still as in love as the day they got married. "Hey, Kai," he said groggily. "I thought you and Yami were training."

"We've been gone forever, Sora," she replied. "You've been sleeping, lazy bum."

"I guess I have," dad said, grinning his usual, cheesy grin. That made mom laugh more than anything. They'd known each other since they had been four years old and mom washed up on the islands after Radiant Garden was taken by the Heartless in 1992. They were destined to be together, really. They had the love story that most people only dream of.

"We'd better get going. We don't want to keep Riku waiting," mom said. "Whatever he had to say seemed important."

I went over to Hikari and rolled him off the couch. He wasn't too happy about it, but I just smiled and walked away. As hard of a time as I gave him, I loved my brother so much. We shared the bond that only twins could ever understand.

We only lived a few blocks away from Riku. Hikari and I would always go visit him. He never got married. We'd asked him why he never settled down. He'd always say that he could just never find anyone that made him feel the way Thalia Grace made him feel. Thalia was the half-blood daughter of the god Zeus in another dimension. Since the defeat of the Olympians, she had become the new goddess of hunting. She replaced Artemis when the goddess gave her soul to bring her back to life. It was a tragic story, really, how she and Riku were separated forever. I could only imagine how it was for Thalia on her side of the multiverse. She was an immortal goddess now. She'd have to live an eternity without Riku.

Dad walked up to Riku's door and knocked. "Hey," Master Riku said as he opened the door. My family and I walked in and took our seats. Riku had a really nice home. He had wood floors, nice furniture, a big-screen HDTV, and a very nice kitchen.

"Hey, Riku," dad said as he shook his best friend's hand. Master Riku hugged mom and then turned to me and Hikari and shook my brother's hand and hugged me. I didn't mind because I'd known him my whole life. Riku wasn't some perverted freak.

"Hi Master Riku," I said respectfully.

"You know you don't have to call me Master, right Yami?" he said.

"Just habit," I replied.

"She really is just like you Kai," he said, addressing mom.

"I know," she said. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell us?"

"Oh, right. It concerns the new Princess of Heart that was born after the last one died sixteen years ago." A look in Riku's eyes told me that something was up. There was something that he was trying to cover with that comment. I wondered what went down sixteen years ago. I only have a vague memory of danger, and that Hikari and I had to stay with King Mickey and Queen Minnie for about a day. Something happened here, on the islands, and I was there. I just knew it. "Her name is Serah Farron and her homeworld is Radiant Garden. I have reason to believe that someone is after her."

"So you want me and Kairi to go and protect her?" dad asked.

"Not exactly," Riku replied. "I was thinking Hikari and Yami could go and help her. You've trained them well, and they wouldn't be alone. I've contacted John and he's agreed to help out any way he can."

Ok, I was beyond excited. I'd trained for this my whole life and now, I was finally going to another world without my parents. Hey, I was a grown woman, and I could take care of myself. Hikari and I didn't even think we needed John with us.

"No," dad said, killing my high faster than it even came. "It's too dangerous for them!"

"Sora, Riku's right. I think they're ready," mom said. That's one of the many things I loved about mom. She wasn't anywhere near as overprotective as dad was. "Yami and I trained earlier today. She held her own against me very well. The only attack I even hit her with was a Fire Raid. Let them go, Sor. They're twenty years old! You were going from world to world with Donald and Goofy when you were fourteen! And you didn't even have the benefit of the training they have."

"But what if they get hurt?" he asked.

"They won't," mom said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She really knew how to change his mind. "I just know it, Sor. They're our kids. That should give you reason enough to believe they can take care of themselves. Besides, John will be with them. You trust John, right?"

Dad's face turned redder than Hikari's hair as mom placed a quick kiss on his lips. Hikari and I had grown used to their blatant affection. I thought it was sweet, actually. They loved each other more than I'd ever seen two people love each other. It was destiny. "Yeah," dad said, flushed redder than a tomato. He lost his hand in her strawberry blond hair and looked at mom lovingly. "Ok, you guys can go. But be careful. Will you promise me you two will come back alive?"

"Of course we will!" Hikari said excitedly.

"Yeah, dad," I added. "We'll be fine. Don't worry about us."

"Yami, can I talk to you alone for a second?" Riku asked. It took me by surprise, but I complied and he led me to the kitchen and out of hearing range. "I sense that you're trying to suppress your Darkness. You can't do that. It will find its way out eventually in a very catastrophic way. You need to learn to use it properly."

"But I'm scared, Riku," I said. "I don't want to be taken over by the Darkness like Terra's apprentice."

"You won't be, Yami. It won't hurt you if you simply keep it under control while you use it. You have a power locked deep inside you. I don't know the actual name for it, if it even has a name, but I call it 'Dark Mode.' It unlocks the Darkness in your heart and makes you stronger. It's 100% safe and very effective. Trust me, Yami. I use it all the time."

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

"I'll unlock your heart for you, but you have to discover the power on your own," he said as he held his hand out and closed his eyes. A green and black aura surrounded his hand and I closed my eyes out of fear. I thought it was going to hurt, but it actually felt great. I could feel the Darkness being unlocked and I already felt stronger. It scared me, but I also kind of liked it. The feeling was unlike anything I'd ever known before. "That should do it. When you need it, the power will manifest itself. Yami, your name means Darkness. You should embrace your namesake, not reject it. I know you have potential deep down inside you. You need to use that power."

I was still wary of the new power Riku had given me. I was curious, however, about the new powers. "How will I unleash it?" I asked.

"You'll find out for yourself. My heart was unlocked for me too, but it was Xehanort that did it," he said. Mom and dad had told me stories about Xehanort, how his Heartless destroyed the worlds, how his Nobody tried to summon an artificial Kingdom Hearts, how he possessed both Master Terra and Riku, and his ultimate destruction by dad and Riku's hands. "I know you can protect Serah. You are your father's daughter and a fine Keyblade wielder. You already have what it takes to be a Keyblade Master." I thought about that for a while. Master Yami…it had a nice ring to it. I dropped the thought before it overinflated my ego.

We went back into the living room. Mom, dad, and Hikari were sitting on the couch, waiting for us to come back. My parents could tell immediately what Riku had done, how he'd unlocked my Darkness. A smile curled up on mom's face. She must have thought I wasn't afraid of the Darkness anymore, but she would have been wrong. I still didn't trust it. Something didn't feel right about it. Maybe I was just being paranoid. But I didn't want to die like Terra's apprentice. "So, it's settled," Riku said. "They're leaving tomorrow and meeting up with John on Radiant Garden."

"I still have a bad feeling about this," dad said. "And please control your Darkness, Yami. I know it feels great, but don't let it take you over."

"I'll be sure dad," I said. He did nothing to ease my fears about it.

After visiting with Riku a little longer, we all headed back home. It was getting late and we needed to sleep for the next day. I had a feeling I wouldn't see home again for a good long time. I went to the bathroom and changed into an old t-shirt and some shorts. Hikari and I still shared a room. Our house wasn't very big. It wasn't that we couldn't afford a bigger house, just that this was dad's house growing up and he inherited it when grandma and grandpa Nomura died and he couldn't let it go. This room had been his old room growing up. There was a window and a little area in front of it that you could sit on and look out at the ocean. It was dark, so we couldn't see anything. I climbed into my bed and Hikari got into his bed on the other side of the room.

"Hey Yami," he said.

"Yeah."

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked.

"Nervous…not really," I said. "I'm a little scared though."

"Your Darkness?" he asked rhetorically. He knew all too well that I was afraid of my Darkness

"Yeah," I said. "I just don't want to end up like that girl, you know, Master Terra's apprentice."

"You won't Yami. You're a lot stronger than that. I know you'll learn to use it like Riku does," he said.

"Thanks," I said. "You're the best brother ever. Even if I always give you such a hard time, I still love you Hikari."

"You too Yami," he said. A few seconds later, he was sleeping like a rock. I decided to rest up myself. Tomorrow would be a big day for us. We'd meet John at the Highwind's hangar, he'd set the hyperdrive to Radiant Garden, and we'd meet up with Serah and her boyfriend, Snow, at Hollow Bastion castle where they would fill us in on what exactly is trying to get to her. I only knew that some unknown threat was trying to kill her. I had no idea what someone would accomplish with the death of a Princess of Heart since one died sixteen years ago and ended up being replaced by Serah, but whatever they were trying to do, I knew it couldn't be good. Those thoughts disappeared as I drifted off into a deep sleep.

I woke the next day to find that Hikari was already in the shower, using up all my hot water. I crawled out of the bed and waited for him to get out so I could take my shower. Thankfully, there was just enough left for me. It didn't get cold until I started to turn the water off. I brushed my teeth and hair. I figured this was the last time I'd be able to worry about personal hygiene for a while. I put on a purple tank top and denim cutoff shorts. I also slapped on an armband of Keyblade Armor. All I'd have to do is push the button and it would summon my armor if I needed it, and I had a feeling I'd need it eventually. My armor looked similar to Master Terra's, but purple and black in color, representing my Darkness. Hikari's armor was almost pure white with streaks of black. The coloring represented his strong light.

I headed downstairs and met Hikari at the door. Mom and dad were coming to see us off. "You ready sis?" he asked me.

"I guess I have to be," I said. Truthfully, I wasn't ready, but Serah needed us. I'd have to just face my fears and tackle this head-on. "Let's just go."

Mom and dad came from downstairs. Dad was gripping the car keys so tight, I was afraid he'd cut his hand on them. He wasn't wearing his usual gloves. "Are you two ready to go?"

"Yeah mom," Hikari answered for both of us. My heart wanted to scream "No" and that I wanted to stay home, safe from my Darkness, and let John and Riku help Serah, but this was my chance to prove myself. I had to at least try. If I died, I'd die knowing I did everything in my power to protect the Princess of Heart.

The four of us walked out to the car and drove to the large dormant volcano in the center of the island. It was just a five minute drive from our house. We rode in silence as I watched the houses, beaches, and all the other things I loved about this island go by. The thought ran through my mind that it could have been the last time I'd ever see that place. It made me sad to think that, but I couldn't help it.

We arrived and got out of the car. Dad found one of the many concealed entrances to the Highwind hangar. He went into the cave first, followed by mom, me, and Hikari. The pathway was dark and I almost twisted my ankle on a rock. I eventually saw a red glow coming from ahead and smelled sulfur. I thought that volcano was dormant, but I guessed we were pretty deep underground. When we came to the end of the tunnel, we walked down a narrow catwalk toward the large Gummi Ship. The Highwind was orange and yellow in color and shaped like any normal space ship, I guess. I looked over the edge of the catwalk to see the magma about five hundred feet below us. It was a little too close for my comfort, really.

A tall man in a long, black trenchcoat stepped out of the Highwind. He was about six feet tall. I couldn't tell much more about him since his face was covered by a hood. "It's nice to meet you both," he said as he walked toward us. He spoke with a slight country accent. "I'm John, an old friend of your parents'."

"Great to see you again John," Dad said as he walked to the mysterious man and shook his hand.

"It is," John replied. He pulled down his hood to reveal his face. He looked about as old as mom and dad. He had long, jet-black hair and intimidating reddish amber eyes.

"John!" mom said happily. She walked up to him, stood on her tip toes, and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. He hugged her back tightly. "I haven't seen you since we defeated the Olympians together."

"It's been far too long, both of you," he replied. "I haven't seen Sora since that incident with the X-blade wielder. I was watching from the rooftops."

"What's the X-blade wielder?" Hikari asked. I was curious as well. They never said anything about it.

John raised an eyebrow and gave mom and dad a strange look. "You never told them, did you?" John asked. "You never said anything about what happened sixteen years ago, how the Princess of Heart and Terra's apprentice died by Her hand." He turned to Hikari and me. "The Princess of Heart that came before Serah used to live here. Terra's apprentice lost herself to Darkness and fused with her, creating the X-blade and X-blade wielder. The two of them died fighting her, but that also ended up killing the Dark Demon as well. It's sad that it took their sacrifice. I knew both personally. But at least they managed to save the worlds from the destruction that would have been unleashed from Kingdom Hearts."

It scared me even more to think that the Darkness could do something like that, but that also made me want to learn to control it even more. I would not lose myself. I promised myself that I'd never be overcome, but I knew that would be easier said than done.

"Well, enough of that," John said. "We'd better get going. Squall and Snow are waiting for us on Radiant Garden."

"You two be careful, you hear me?" Mom said as she hugged us both for the last time. "Please come back home safely."

"Don't worry mom," I said. "I promise we'll be back soon. I love you," I said as I hugged her and dad tightly.

"I love you too, Yami," she said. I saw a tear run down from one of her unique, purple eyes. Hikari and I followed John into the large Gummi Ship. The door closed behind us, making the thought of never seeing home again even more real.

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><p>Author's Note: So, what do you think? (insert same closing author's note I use in every chapter). Remember to leave a review and tell me how you liked it. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	2. Wraiths of Perdition

Author's Note: Hey, here's the next chapter of Light and Dark. A pretty good deal happens in this chapter. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>The three of us settled into the ship that would be our home for who knows how long. I picked out which room I wanted and John and Hikari did the same. John had put it on auto-pilot toward Radiant Garden and it would take about a few hours. I decided to ask John for a little sparring match. "You really think you can take me?" he asked as we entered the training room.<p>

"I don't know," I replied. "I can barely beat mom. How much harder can you be to fight?"

"I can do…things that your mother can't. You'll see," he said as he pulled his hood back up and drew two energy swords. He used a reverse grip style like Hikari, but Hikari couldn't dual wield. Dad could, but that was because of Roxas. Hikari's Keyblade wasn't Ventus'. It was his own, but he acquired Wayward Wind from Master Terra, who had found the keychain on Ventus' body. They had given up hope of Ven ever waking up. They took his body and gave him a proper burial. Ven's consciousness was absorbed into dad. He said he could hear Ven every now and then and told us that Roxas claimed to be able to communicate with him.

I barely had time to even blink when John came after me. He was so fast. I raised Destiny's Embrace just as he was about to slash my chest. I had a feeling he was using some special trick. Nobody was that fast unless the either used a Slow spell on someone else or Haste on themselves. I had a trick up my sleeves, though. "Esuna," I screamed before he could rip my throat out. Suddenly, he slowed down to normal and I matched his blows easily. I threw Destiny's Embrace and caught it reverse grip in my left hand. I subconsciously charged my newfound Darkness and darted toward him. I slammed my Keyblade into his stomach and he collapsed to the ground, coughing and gripping his injured stomach. "Cura," I said as I healed his wounds.

"You really are something Yami," John said as he staggered to his feet. "You fight well with both your right and left hands. And you know the spell that is one of my weaknesses. Kairi has taught you well."

"Thank you. You're a great fighter too John," I said. I had a feeling that I was going to like John a lot. "Hey, I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to talk and get to know each other a little better?"

"You want to hang out with an old fart like me?" he said, chuckling and I couldn't suppress a laugh myself.

"Well, the three of us are going to be spending a lot of time together for a while. I want to get to know who I'll be trusting my life to," I said.

"Ok, we'll talk after your shower," he said. I walked out of the room and toward my quarters to grab some fresh clothes. I went to the bathroom and let the hot water from the shower run over my body. Fighting John had taken a lot out of me. The water made me feel better, though.

I dried my body and got dressed before meeting John on the bridge of the Highwind. Hikari was in his room asleep—like always—so we were alone. "So John, how did you get your powers?" I asked.

"About 26 years ago, I was just a normal human from Earth. A Heartless made its way to Earth, but couldn't find the heart of the world. I believe it's because Earth is one of the most densely populated planets around. The entrance to the heart of a world tends to be where the most hearts are located. Earth has over 6 billion people and that makes it difficult to find its heart. The Heartless got frustrated and attacked me while I was at the grocery store. He tried to steal my heart, but accidentally destroyed it. My heart is shattered and I'm now a special variety of Nobody. I am the only one of my kind that I know of. Shattered hearts are very rare occurrences and I could have just as easily ended up as a normal human-form Nobody, but I am forever condemned to this form."

"I'm sorry about that John," I said.

"It's ok," he said. "I've visited Earth a time or two. I revealed myself to my mother and she, amazingly, recognized me. It was so great to see her again. I also found my best friend Evan. He didn't even know it was me until I told him. He'd already graduated from college and gotten married. He actually tried to kick me out of his house until I told him things that only the two of us knew."

"Why didn't he recognize you?" I asked.

"Because I didn't always look like this," he said, grabbing a lock of his long, black hair and pointing at his red eyes. "I used to be a redhead and have green eyes. My red eyes came from the Darkness that flooded my being when I was turned into a Nobody. I don't know why my hair changed, though."

"I'm glad you got to see your family and friends," I said. "Can I say something and will you promise not to mention anything to anyone else?"

"Cross my 'heart' Yami," he said, doing the air-quote thing with his fingers as he said "heart."

I took in a deep breath. "You've known mom and dad for a while, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "I have been friends with them for years and knew their Nobodies as well."

"Ok, here's my question. Is Kairi…is Kairi my real mother? Please be honest with me John," I said.

"Yami, of course Kairi is your mother. I remember when she was pregnant with you and Hikari. She and Sora were so happy to have you in their lives. And when you were born, you were the most beautiful babies ever," he said. "I didn't meet you when you were born, though. I just watched from afar during the whole pregnancy. Today was the first time I'd talked to your mother since we defeated the Olympians and the first time I'd talked to your father since Terra's apprentice died. Crystal was such an amazing girl, too."

"Crystal was her name? That's a pretty name," I said.

"Yeah, and she was a beautiful girl too. She had silky blond hair and big yellow eyes. She died far too young. That young woman had so much potential. If only she'd been more careful with her Darkness and not created the X-blade with the Princess of Heart," he said sadly.

"That's so sad. And that's why I'm afraid of Darkness," I said.

"Don't fear it Yami," he said. "That's what causes it to take control. If you show weakness, that's when it devours you. You're fine as long as you keep your Darkness under control."

That didn't make me feel better in the slightest. After our conversation, we finally arrived at Radiant Garden. It was such a beautiful place. The tall castle where Squall Leonhart ruled dominated the main square of the town. John landed in the main hangar of the castle. The three of us stepped out of the Highwind to be greeted by three people. One was Squall, Ansem the Wise's successor. He was tall with dark brown hair like mine, but his hair was longer, reaching past his shoulders. He also had a scar that ran down his forehead. A beautiful, raven-haired woman stood beside him. I could only guess that she was his wife, Rinoa. And a tall man with spikey blond hair and deep blue eyes stood on Squall's other side. "Welcome to Radiant Garden," Squall greeted. "It's good to see you again John. And you must be Yami and Hikari. I knew your parents very well and I've heard great things about you." Squall seemed like a friendly man, but the blond guy was giving me dirty looks. It was like he wanted to rip my head off or something. I didn't know what I'd done to piss him off like that, but I didn't feel I deserved it.

"It's great to meet you, sir," I addressed reverently.

"You don't have to call me sir. Just call me Squall," he said, chuckling a little. "I wish we had time to talk, but we need to get down to business." He turned to the blond guy who was drilling holes in me with his stare. "Cloud, can you take them to the others? I'm sure Serah will want to meet her new guardians."

"Yeah, fine," he said emotionlessly. "Follow me."

Reluctantly, I did as the man said and John and Hikari followed behind me. I could practically feel the hatred radiating from Cloud. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I wanted to ask him what his problem was, but I decided now wasn't the best time. I'd get him alone and ask him a little later.

The four of us reached a hallway full of doors. Cloud led us to one and opened it, revealing a beautiful bedroom. I could tell it belonged to a young girl. There was a lot of pink and flowers. A large bed with pink sheets and a pink blanket took up one corner of the room, while a large table with a bunch of people crowding around it was in the middle of the room. Two of them were girls with pink hair. They looked so similar that they must have been sisters. A tall man with short blond hair, blue eyes, and a muscular build stood next to the shorter pink-haired girl. He had his arm around her protectively. A red-head girl was standing next to a silver-haired boy and a tall woman with spikey black hair stood across from the red-head.

The taller pink-haired woman took notice of us first. "You must be Serah's new guardians. I'm Lightning, her sister," she said.

"Hi, I'm Yami. This is my brother Hikari and our friend John," I said.

"We already know John," the dark-haired woman said. She had the same accent as the Australians from Earth. Hikari's eyes opened wide when he saw her. He had a thing for that accent and black-haired women. I'd admit, she was beautiful. "My name is Fang. And thank you all for coming. I'm afraid Serah's life is in danger."

"Did you ever figure out who's chasing her, Fang?" John asked. He walked over to her and looked into her green eyes like they used to have something…or still had something. I'd seen that look before. It was how dad looked at mom.

"I don't know for sure, but I do know that there are three of them and that they wear the same cloak as you. I saw them outside the castle walls two nights ago when I was checking on Serah. I chased them off with a Firaga, but they know where she is now. Serah hasn't been alone for a single moment the entire time," Fang said.

The blond man tightened his protective hold around the girl I assumed was Serah. "Please, keep Serah safe," he said.

"Trust us, Snow," John said. John had already put his arm around Fang's waist. "Nothing is going to happen to her as long as we're around. I promise that she'll be safe. What world are we transferring her to?"

"We have headquarters set up at the ruins of The World That Never Was," Lightning interjected. "That world is so far out of the way that nobody will think to look for her there."

"Which is why we came before you could leave," a smooth male voice called from across the room. I turned to see three figures materialize in front of the door. One was a tall and muscular man, the one on his right flank was a slender, average-height woman, and the one flanking the leader's left was a scrawny male figure.

"Why are you after Serah?" Lightning yelled. "What good will it do you to kill her?"

"That, young Claire, is our business. You won't be hearing it from me," he said.

The man waved his hands, signaling his comrades to attack. I drew Destiny's Embrace while John drew his swords and Hikari materialized Wayward Wind. Our opponents carried unique weapons. The scrawny man had a long broadsword with electricity pulsing around the blade. Either his gloves were insulated, or he was casting a perpetual Thundara spell. The woman had no weapon besides a pair of special gloves with strange symbols on them. I instinctively knew that the symbols were to enhance spell casting. The leader simply stood back as his friends charged toward Serah, creating a barrier between her and her friends so they couldn't help her. It was up to me, John, and Hikari. I jumped and met the man's sword with my Keyblade just before it could strike her. Despite the sword's size, he was quite skilled with it. It took all that I had to keep from dying out there.

The woman was keeping John and Hikari busy by her incessant spell casting. She was the most powerful sorceress I had ever seen. She shot Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Water, and Aero spells toward them without even breaking a sweat. If she hadn't been one of the bad guys, I would have been impressed.

The man landed a lucky strike on me and I collapsed to the ground, bleeding from the left side of my waist and slightly numb from the sudden jolt of Thundara. The man was prepared to kill me before John intervened and slashed away at lightspeed. The mysterious man retreated along with the woman and we were left alone. John cast a Cura spell on the wound and I was instantly healed. "What exactly happened," I said as the barrier disappeared and Snow and Lightning embraced Serah tightly, making sure she was alright.

"It was them," Fang said. "They are the ones trying to kill Serah. But what we can't figure out is why they want to kill her at all. If she dies, then another Princess of Heart will be born in her place. And besides, she's just an innocent child. She doesn't pose any obvious threat to anyone that I could..."

"I am not a child," Serah interrupted.

"When you're my age, everyone is a child," Fang said, as if she was older than she appeared. She didn't look any older than mom.

"Whatever the case, we need to get her to safety. The former stronghold of Organization XIII won't do anymore," Fang said. "We need to get her to the secondary safehouse at the Keyblade Graveyard." She turned to John and placed a hand on his cheek. "Be safe and come back to me alive, please." It was obvious that she loved him. She kissed John lovingly and he kissed her back.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I love you," he said. "Come on Serah. We need to leave before they come back." Serah turned in Snow's arms and kissed him one last time.

"I love you," Snow said as Serah looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry that I can't go with you."

"It's ok," she said. "I love you too." Serah left his embrace, hugged her sister again, and came to stand beside us. Cloud motioned for us to follow him down the hallway.

We returned to the hangar the way we came. Squall and Rinoa weren't there anymore. I took the opportunity to confront Cloud as John, Hikari, and Serah entered the Highwind. "Hey, I think I have a right to know why you're being so rude to me," I said.

"Hmph, I don't know what you're talking about," he said with obvious contempt in his voice.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Cloud," I said. I wanted to cry. It hurt me that he hated me without even getting to know me. "You are different around me than you are with John and Hikari. I want to know why you hate me so much!"

"You wanna know why? I'll tell you why," he said. "You reek of Darkness just like He did! Your Darkness signature is exactly the same."

"Who is 'He'?" I asked.

"Sephiroth, the embodiment of my Darkness," he said. "You and he share the same Darkness. I almost never got rid of him and you bring back so many painful memories of him. He almost killed someone I really care about."

I was sorry that my presence hurt him like that, but I was upset that he was taking all of it out on me. I decided to take the high road, though, and show him some sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "But I can't help being Dark. I didn't choose it, and if I could, I'd throw it all away just to be Light. But I can't change the fact of who I am. So please, don't take it out on me."

"Easier said than done," he said. "But I guess I could give you a chance. It's not like we'll be meeting again for a while. You'd better leave before those people come back."

I turned away from Cloud and walked into the Highwind. John was already at the controls. Hikari and Serah were sitting down and I took a seat between them. "Hey, I'm Yami," I said to Serah. We were going to be together for a while, so I decided to try and make friends with her.

"Nice to meet you," she replied. "I'm a little scared. This is my first time off-world and I don't know what to expect."

"I know how you feel. This is my first extended period away from home too," I said. "But don't worry. The three of us are here to protect you, and I'm ready to fight for you at any moment."

"Thank you. You're really kind," she said.

"Don't mention it," I said. It would be a few hours before we reached the Keyblade Graveyard. I decided to take a nap in my room. Serah and I would be sharing it since there was a bunk bed. I took the top, of course. As I drifted into sleep, I got the worst feeling about what would happen in the near future. I had a feeling that one of us wouldn't make it out of this alive.

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><p>Author's Note: How did you like it? For this story, let's just assume that Squall became Ansem's heir after he died. Ansem is pretty old, so I doubted he'd survive 26 years after Kingdom Hearts. Also, we finally get to see the main antagonists of the story. As to their identities, we'll just wait and see. Time will tell all eventually.<p>

It was fun having the FF XIII characters featured in this chapter. And we even got to see a little SnowxSerah. It was a snap decision to pair John with Fang. It seemed like a good idea and she needs love too XD. Hope you guys enjoyed the story and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it in the future. Until next time...


	3. Haunted

Author's Note: Here's the next installment of Light and Dark. This chapter is about as long as the rest will be. The first chapter is always the longest with me XD. Hope you guys enjoy it...

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><p>I awoke from my nap some time later. I checked the clock and I'd been asleep for about an hour. I decided to get up and have a sandwich or something. Serah was still asleep as I climbed down the ladder. I tried not to make too much noise when I got out of bed because she looked like she needed the sleep. Even in her sleep, her face had worry written all over it. She was scared, I could tell. It was understandable. Three people were trying to kill her and she didn't even know why. She was just an innocent kid. Serah was the same age as Crystal had been when she died.<p>

It took a few minutes, but I finally found the kitchen. I took a look through the refrigerator and grabbed a pack of cheese and ham. I took out two slices of bread and made my sandwich. I didn't realize how hungry I actually was until I started eating. Before I knew it, the ham and cheese sandwich was gone and I was still hungry. "You eat like a pig, you know that?" Hikari said, startling me. "But hey, so do I." He walked over to me and made a sandwich of his own. He devoured it faster than I ate mine.

"And you sleep more than dad does," I said. Hikari and I laughed. "I love you Hikari."

"You too," he said. "You're the best sister ever."

"I'm scared," I confessed.

"Of what," he asked. His eyebrows drew together and he looked so worried for me.

"That I'll lose you," I stated simply. I kept a strong front, but I was breaking on the inside. I hung my head down and stared at my feet. "Or that I'll fail and Serah will die, or that I'll fall into Darkness. I guess I'm afraid of a lot of things. I'm such a coward."

Hikari walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You're not a coward Yami. You're the bravest person I know."

"Hikari, if I fall, I'm asking you as a friend…as my brother…to put an end to me," I said. I don't know where those specific words came from, but some force inside me drove me to say them. I felt that they'd been uttered before, but not by me. They seemed appropriate, though.

Hikari gasped as his violet eyes grew wider. "No Yami," he snapped. "I won't kill you! I couldn't do it and you know that! You're my sister and I don't want you to die. I'll find a way to save you if it comes to that, but I won't end your life. Forget it!"

"If I fall, I know I'll be beyond saving. It will be too late for me," I said darkly. I prayed that it didn't come to my death, but I would rather die than to be a slave of Darkness.

"I'll find a way to save you," he said confidently. He sounded just like dad. "And after this is all over, we'll go back home to mom and dad. Who knows, maybe we'll even get to take our Mark of Mastery exams."

"Yeah," I said. I wasn't as confident as Hikari was. My words were emotionless. I showed as much feeling as a Nobody would. "We'll go home together along with John and Serah."

After our little talk, John walked into the room. "Hey, we're here," he said.

I went back to my room to wake Serah up and we all walked to the bridge. I looked out the window and saw the planet in front of us. It looked like it was mostly mountainous terrain with large areas of flat planes. I also saw a seemingly out-of-place, enormous patch of gray around the area we were supposed to land. "This is the place that the Keyblade War took place, isn't it?" I asked. I'd heard of the Keyblade War, but mom and dad never went into any details.

"Yes," John said, "and do you see that patch of gray down there?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Those are Keyblades," he said. "They belonged to all the people who died in that senseless conflict."

I looked at the gray patch. Then I understood why the entire world was called Keyblade Graveyard. Half of the world _was_ a graveyard. That area the Keyblades covered had to be at least five square miles. My knees shook as I thought of the sheer number of Keyblade Masters and apprentices who lost their lives during the War. It was frightening and sobering at the same time. It hurt deep in my heart to think of all the deaths.

A few minutes later, we touched down on the surface near the actual graveyard part of the world. The safehouse was a short walk away. There, we would have a safe place for Serah to stay while we planned out how to stop whoever was chasing her. We had to find out who they were, though. We didn't have the slightest hint about who or what those cloaked people were. But I didn't think I'd survive another one-on-one fight against the guy with the big broadsword.

"This place is so depressing," Serah said as we exited the Highwind. "So many people died here, and I can still feel the lingering Darkness. A lot of bad things happened here, didn't they?"

"Yes," John said. "In addition to the Keyblade War, there have been many other tragedies here. A little over thirty years ago, Master Terra, Master Aqua, and Ventus fought Master Xehanort and an evil entity called Vanitas here. Terra fell and was possessed by Xehanort, Aqua was lost to the Realm of Darkness, and Ven defeated Vanitas, but at the cost of his heart. Vanitas was his Darkness manifested. This is also the place where I met Terra's deceased apprentice."

"Wow," Hikari said. It wasn't like we'd been oblivious to what happened there. We'd known all our lives about the battle with Master Xehanort. That was really just so Serah would know.

John led us to the coordinates Fang had given him for the safehouse and he activated the transport rings. Four rings appeared around us and we vanished in a flash of light. When the light cleared, the scenery around us changed. We appeared in a small room with a control panel on the wall. John entered the password and the door opened. The four of us walked into the larger room that was the actual safehouse and made ourselves comfortable. Serah settled in quickly, which was a good thing because she'd be there more than any of us. Two of us would be out on recon at any given time while the other stayed with her to guard her. John and Hikari would take the first recon mission while I kept Serah safe.

John and Hikari left and I was left alone with Serah. "So, how does it feel, being a Princess of Heart, that is," I asked.

"I honestly wish that I wasn't," she said, which dumbfounded me. "I wish I would have been born like anyone else. I wish I had a balanced heart of Light and Darkness. I wish I was like you Yami."

I laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"It's funny because you'd give anything to be like me, while I would give anything to be like you. I wish I was a Princess of Heart so I wouldn't have to worry about my Darkness overtaking me," I explained. "If I had Pure Light, I wouldn't have to be on guard all the time."

"You fear the Darkness?" she asked.

"It scares me to death," I confessed. I stared at the floor, something I always did when I was stressed. "I'm only twenty years old. I don't want to die yet."

"It won't kill you," she said. She put her arm around my shoulders, trying to make me feel better. I may have only known her for a few hours, but it felt like we were already best friends. "I don't know you very well, but I know you're stronger than that. You can use your Darkness."

"Thank you Serah," I said. "I may not know you very well either, but I can tell you're a good person. I have a feeling we're going to be great friends."

"I do too," she said. "I don't have many friends. Those people you saw at Hollow Bastion castle, they are the only friends I've ever had. Fang, Snow, Vanille, Hope, and Lightning are the only people I see on a regular basis. And Snow…he's amazing."

"You really love him, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes. More than anything," she said. She had a tear in her eye. "I miss him so much." She started to cry even more at the thought of Snow.

"You'll see him again," I said. "After we stop these people who are after you, you can go home."

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

I hugged her tightly. She seemed like a sister to me already. "Of course," I said. "I'll come visit you on Radiant Garden."

"Thank you," she said.

I had a feeling that our friendship would be something both of us needed to make it through the weeks to come.

Serah and I were relaxing and getting settled into our new home when an alarm sounded. I bolted up and ran to the monitor. Three powerful energy readings were coming toward both of us quickly. "It's them," I said over the loud alarm. Serah nodded. She tried to be brave, but I could tell she was terrified. I tried to get in touch with John and Hikari. "John, you guys have to get here fast! They're here!"

"Oh no, we'll be there right away," he said. "We're about five minutes away. Go ahead and engage them. We'll back you up."

One of the energy readings disappeared. The strongest one was the one that faded. I guessed the leader left the other two to finish us off. "Serah, stay here," I said as I left the room and headed to the surface. I drew Destiny's Embrace as the rings surrounded me.

Once I was on the surface, I could see the cloaked figures approach me. They surprised me when both of them lowered their hoods. I'd never been more terrified of anybody before until I saw their faces.

They both looked half-decayed. Skin was hanging from their faces in loose, disgusting ways. The man was missing his right eye and his long, gray hair was thin and missing in patches. The woman…well, her figure was the only way you could tell she was a woman…the woman had long blond hair and green eyes. Her skin was pale and even more decayed than the man's. It was hard to even tell that they were alive…if they were alive.

"What are you people?" I asked as I felt my stomach heave.

The woman spoke up first. "One of my names is Larxene," she said. "I was a member of Organization XIII years ago. Your father killed me, but I've returned with an old friend."

"Why are you after Serah?" I asked.

The man spoke this time. "If we take her life, we can use it to restore ours," he said. "My name is Garanox."

"I don't care about your reasons. You can't have her," I yelled. "You'll have to go through me first!"

"Very well," Garanox said. "Larxene, can you handle this girl? I don't feel like getting my hands dirty and I know how you just love to cause people pain."

"With pleasure," she snickered. Larxene lunged toward me with her gloves bared and a new weapon. She had six yellow throwing knives between her fingers. Great, another thing I had to worry about. I barely dodged a slash from her right hand and deflected her left with Destiny's Embrace. We exchanged blows endlessly and I wasn't getting anywhere with the attacks. I was facing an undead monster. It wasn't like I could kill her with normal attacks. I decided to try, against all my fears, the new power that Riku had unlocked in my heart.

I got away from Larxene momentarily and concentrated on the Darkness in my heart. "Come Darkness!" I screamed. I instantly was surrounded by Dark cloud and was completely engulfed by it. I felt things change inside me as I grew more powerful. When the Darkness cleared, my clothes had been replaced by a new outfit. It looked like human muscle and was skintight. The Heartless Emblem was displayed on my chest. The suit exposed my stomach and my shorts had turned into pants, also appearing as human muscle. The overall color of the muscle suit was blue with red highlights.

Destiny's Embrace had also changed. It took on a more sinister appearance. The gold blade had turned black. The teeth were now comprised of a single rose and the thorns ran down the length of the blade. It was beautiful with Darkness surrounding it. "You're mine, Larxene!" I said as I charged toward her with Darkness as my ally. She was the one trying to keep up this time.

That was when things started to take a turn for the worst. I lost all control and couldn't command my own body anymore. The Darkness took over and, though I was winning, I was afraid again. I felt like I was losing myself. And I didn't want to lose myself. I prayed that John and Hikari would show up soon.

Larxene realized she was outmatched and retreated with Garanox through a Corridor of Darkness. I collapsed to the ground in agonizing pain as my heart was being ripped apart by the Darkness engulfing it. "Hikari, John, please help me!" I screamed, hoping they would hear me.

"Yami," I heard Hikari yell as he saw me writhing on the ground. He ran to me and picked me up in his arms. "Yami, what happened to you?"

"Darkness…is…taking me over," I said through my pain. "Please, kill me!"

"No, there has to be another way," he said. "I won't do it!"

"Well, if you won't, I will," I said as I struggled to move my body. I took my Keyblade and raised it. I turned it around so the pointy tip of the blade pointed at my chest. "Goodbye and tell everyone I'm sorry. I failed you all, but please forgive me." I closed my eyes as I plunged the cold steel through my heart. If the pain I felt when I was being consumed wasn't enough, then the pain I felt from my heart being pierced was unbearable. It was excruciatingly painful, but I quickly felt myself go numb as the blood gushed from my chest. I figured I would go to Elysium, having lived a decent life, but as I felt my soul leave my body, the distinct smell of sulfur and the faint sound of screams told me otherwise. I realized—right when it was too late—that I had made a horrible mistake. But it was far too late for regrets. My suicide was committed and I was dead, plunging into eternal Darkness toward the fiery River Phlegethon.

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><p>Author's Note: This story is not over XD lol. Just because Yami is dead, that doesn't mean that this story is finished just yet. I just used a neat, little trick that I keep up my sleeve called "False Protagonist" that I've only used one other time in Shadow of the Slenderman. Next chapter will either be told from John's or Hikari's PoV. I'll decide after I finish the next chapter of Hearts of the Olympians. That will be your next update and then Her Scars will be updated.<p>

The identities of two of the mysterious enemies has finally been revealed. We all know Larxene, of course. Garanox is a complete OC. Funny thing about his name, it's inspired by Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. It is Aragorn rearranged and missing an "r". I just re-watched LotR the other day and was thinking about it while I wrote. I thought it would be a cool tribute to my favorite character XD. Thank you for reading and hope you continue to read in the future. Until next time...


	4. Pain and Loss

Author's Note: Another chapter of Light and Dark. Thank you to 16afoster for being a faithful reviewer. I'd like everyone else to follow his/her example. The next few chapters will have some PoV switches. This chapter goes from Hikari, to Kairi, and back to Hikari. Next chapter will be John and a surprise narrator. Enjoy...

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><p><strong><em>Hikari's PoV:<em>**

I could only stand there in shock as my amazing twin sister plunged Destiny's Embrace into her heart. "Yami no," I yelled as I darted forward to catch her as she fell. She landed in my arms roughly. I guess it didn't matter much to her since she was dying. A little pain from the landing was nothing compared to what she had to be feeling right then from her self-inflicted, mortal wound. Her cerulean eyes were out of focus as her face became paler from intense loss of blood and her breathing became shallow. "Yami please, don't die," I begged, but it was no use. Not even a Curaga spell or a Phoenix Down would save her. She reached her hand to touch my cheek, but her hand fell back down when she was halfway to my face. I caught it before it could hit the ground and stared into her eyes. It was different than any other time I looked at her. Her eyes were already so lifeless. She took in one, last breath and exhaled slowly. Yami had just committed suicide right before my eyes. I lay her corpse down on the dusty ground and gently closed her eyes forever with two of my fingers. I couldn't believe she was actually dead. Yami had been my best friend all my life. Now, she was gone and I'd never see her again.

"Hikari," John said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I tensed up and couldn't hold my tears any longer.

"She's…she's really dead, isn't she?" I stated rhetorically. I grabbed handfuls of my crimson hair and almost ripped it out. I buried my face in Yami's hair. I had gotten her blood on my clothes and hands when I caught her. The sight of it made everything seem so much more real.

"What do you think we should do with her body?" he asked.

"Let's call mom and dad first," I said. "They'll know what to do." I dreaded telling mom and dad about Yami's death, but they needed to know. And the sooner they found out, the better.

"Hikari, I'm sorry," John said.

"She was so afraid of her Darkness. She was afraid that it would consume her, and I guess it did after all," I said.

"There's no reason she should have reacted to her Darkness like that. That Darkness was not her own," he said. "It was something else, something I've never seen myself, but know what it belongs to."

"Who could have done that to her?" I asked curiously.

"I should have seen it. After he died, Vanitas left a bit of his Darkness here. I was stupid to not think of what it would do to her, especially with their connection," he said.

"What connection?" I asked.

"Ventus isn't the only one your family is influenced by," he said. "Vanitas has had a lingering influence on your father, and his influence was passed on to Yami when she was born."

"So Vanitas was inside her?"

"No," John said. "His soul is condemned to the Underworld. He is chained to a rock on the banks of the River Phlegethon and only set free to fight in the coliseum. You could say that a part of him stayed behind, but his soul is basically in Hell."

"Well, we should head back to the safehouse with Yami so we can break the news to mom and dad," I said, trying to hold my tears back.

"Hikari, if you have to, just let it out," John said, noticing my pain. "It will make you feel better to let your feelings out."

"My sister is dead!" I said harsher than I intended. "I'll never be better. She was my twin. You have no idea what it did to me to watch her die. It felt like a part of me died along with her. And it didn't help knowing that she killed herself!"

"I'm sorry. I really don't know what it's like to lose a sister. I was an only child. But I understand what you're going through because I've lost people I cared about." He took off his cloak and handed it to me. "Wrap her body in this. It won't conform itself to her since she's dead. It will remain my size so it can completely cover her."

I took the cloak and used it as a makeshift body bag for my sister. It added to the finality of her death when I zipped up the coat and it covered her face, forever frozen in a painful grimace that was difficult to look at. It was big enough to envelop her body completely. Yami was only 5'6" and John was 6' tall. I picked her up bridal-style and carried her toward the safehouse. Serah wouldn't take this very well at all.

We entered the safehouse and John entered the password to gain access to the main room where Serah was waiting for us. She quickly turned around to greet us. "Did you guys stop them? Wait, where's Yami?" she asked. She finally noticed the cloak in my hands and the expression on her face showed me that she knew exactly what was in it. "No…she can't be…this can't be happening!" she said as she darted toward me and lifted the hood from Yami's face. Serah took a good look at my deceased twin and started to break down into an emotional train wreck. "Yami…why did you have to die?" she stated through her tears.

"Serah, I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't get to her in time. John, open a channel to mom and dad. I want to talk to them about Yami's death."

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><p><em><strong>Kairi's PoV:<strong>_

It was 3 AM and I woke up with the worst feeling that something horrible had happened. My blond hair was tatted and I was covered in sweat. I rolled over to see that Sora was still sleeping peacefully. I envied him. It was ironic. He was the one who had been worried before Yami and Hikari left, but now I was the one getting the feelings of dread. I decided to talk to my others about it. "Crystal, Namine, are you awake?" I spoke in my heart.

"What is it Kai?" Crystal asked.

"Do you feel like something is wrong?" I asked. I didn't really have to ask, though. She and Namine felt everything I felt. I couldn't hide anything from them.

"Yeah, I feel it. It's hard to ignore it since I'm a part of your heart now," she said.

"I'm so worried. What if something happened to one of the kids?" I asked. As soon as the words left my mouth, the computer monitor in the corner of the room lit up. A call from the Keyblade Graveyard was incoming. "I'll talk to you later Crystal."

"Ok bye," she said as she faded away.

"Sora, wake up," I said, shaking my husband awake.

"Wha…what's going on?" he asked, still half asleep.

"Hikari, John, and Yami are calling us from the Keyblade Graveyard. Wake up," I said.

We got up and walked over to the computer and I answered the call. I saw John, Hikari, and Serah, but I didn't see Yami anywhere. "Hey guys, where's Yami?" I asked.

Hikari's face grew dark and he shed a tear. My maternal instincts told me something was wrong, and Yami was somehow part of it. "Mom…Yami is…she's…Yami is dead," he said and all the blood drained from my face. I felt like I would faint when he said my daughter, my own flesh and blood, was dead. "Vanitas' Darkness that was still here tried to take her over and…she committed suicide so she wouldn't hurt anyone."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to find my voice. "No," I mumbled, not having the drive to speak anymore. I dug my fingernails into my palms and squeezed my eyes together. It was just so unreal to me. Not even two days ago, I had said goodbye to her and told her I loved her. Now…now she was dead and I would never see her again. I loved Yami more than my own life. I wanted so badly to take her place.

Sora spoke up. "Why did this have to happen?" he said in disbelief. "I knew I should have never let you go!" Sora turned to me and I saw his eyes flicker gold. "You…it was your idea to let them go! It's your fault that Yami is dead, Kairi!" His words cut me to the bone. Even though I agreed with him, I knew it wasn't really him. Since he turned into a Shadow on Radiant Garden, he was prone to the Heartless inside him in times of extreme stress. His Anti-Form was the one speaking. Still, though I could excuse him, it hurt that he spoke so hateful to me.

"Sora, I'm sorry," I cried. I felt like dying right there. "I…I didn't know this would happen."

Sora's eyes changed back to the blue I was familiar with. "No, I'm sorry Kai," he said apologetically. "I didn't mean any of that. It was just the Heartless inside me. It tried to take over again. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"I know Sora, but I agree with your Heartless," I said. "I should have never pushed you to let them go."

"Umm, Kairi," John interrupted. "If it weren't for Yami and Hikari being here, I don't think I would have been able to help Serah. Whoever is after her, they possess extremely high-level magic. And I have a feeling I've met the woman in the group somewhere before. Her fighting style is disturbingly familiar. I don't think what we're facing is like anything I've encountered in the past. I barely caught a glimpse of them as they retreated after Yami fought them. She held her own against them well. She fought the woman here at the Keyblade Graveyard while Hikari and I were doing recon. All I caught of the woman was a few patches of blond hair and six throwing knives between her fingers. Her back was facing me so I didn't see her face."

"Blond hair…throwing knives…there is only one woman I can think of that fits that description, but I killed her twenty-six years ago," Sora said.

"I'm afraid it may be her," John said soberly. "I don't know how she's come back, but I'm ninety-nine percent sure that it is her. As for the two men, I don't have the slightest idea of who they could be."

"Well, we need to give Yami a proper burial. She deserves that much," I managed to say through my deep sorrow. A part of me was dead. I couldn't imagine how hard life was going to be without Yami. She was my only daughter, my apprentice, and my very best friend. We had the relationship most mothers could only dream to have with their daughters. Now, it was all over. I'd never see her smiling face again.

"We can risk a few days on the Destiny Islands for a funeral," John said. "We'll be there as soon as we can. And I am so sorry, old friends. Please forgive me."

"It's not your fault John," Sora said. "I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye mom, bye dad," Hikari said.

"Goodbye, I love you," I said to my son. Now, he was all I had left. I wanted to force him to stay home, but I knew I couldn't do that. He was a grown man now. I couldn't exactly tell him what to do anymore, and Serah really needed him to be there for her.

The computer monitor cut off and our connection was broken. I looked at Sora and his blue eyes met my purple eyes. "Sora, hold me," I said. It was less of a request and more of a plea. I didn't just want him to hold me; I _**needed**_ him to hold me. "Please, just hold me closer than you've ever held me before!" I cried into his chocolate hair and he embraced me tightly.

"Kairi, I love you," he said. He was holding back tears.

"Just let it out Sor," I said. He released the pain he felt in his heart. We were going down a dark road to recovery. It would be the hardest thing we'd ever have to do, but I knew that we would make it. I lay there with my husband as we grieved for our daughter.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hikari's PoV:<em>**

Serah locked herself in her room. She had been so hurt by all of this. She told me that she had gotten very close to Yami during the short time we had been together. As we flew back to the Destiny Islands, Serah just stayed in the room she shared with Yami and laid in Yami's bed, crying her eyes out. I was worried that she would never recover from this. I could hardly feel anything at all. I was so deep in shock that I couldn't climb out. John would catch me sitting there, completely silent and my eyes out of focus. He'd snap his fingers in my ear to bring me back to reality.

Reality, such a harsh thing it was. In fantasy, my sister was still alive and we were going back home because we'd succeeded in protecting Serah. But reality had other plans. In reality, we were going back to bury my sister.

"I'm going to check on Serah," I said. John nodded and let me go without a word. I walked through the halls, following the sound of Serah's incessant sobbing. The poor girl was heartbroken over the loss of her newest best friend. "Serah, can I come in?" I asked as I knocked on her door.

"Go away," she yelled. I didn't take it personally, though. She was hurting almost as much as I was.

"Serah, please," I said. "I want to help. I know exactly how you're feeling right now. She was my sister."

I waited for a while and she opened the door. "Why did this have to happen?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it did and there's nothing that can change the fact that she's gone forever. But what we can do is move on and I can still protect you."

"What exactly happened?" she asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I said. "We showed up just as the people she was fighting left. She was overcome by a Darkness that lingered here. She killed herself to protect us from her Darkness."

"It's still not fair that this had to happen," she cried. She punched the doorframe out of frustration, but did more damage to her hand than she did to the wall. I took her hand and rubbed the sore area.

"No, it's not fair, but it did happen," I said. "And the only thing we can do is give her a respectful burial back home. Speaking of, we should be there any minute now."

"Hikari, I can only imagine what this is doing to you," she said. "I mean, she was your sister. I don't think I could go on if Lightning died."

"You'll never know the pain in my heart, but I have to stay strong. I have to guard my Light from the Darkness. I'm Light-oriented like my mom. I swear that woman could have been a Princess of Heart."

Serah hugged me tightly as if the two of us would literally fall apart. As she tightened the embrace, John called to us over the intercom. "Hikari, Serah, we're here," he said. I walked toward the room we were keeping Yami's body and carried her to a coffin John had synthesized from the Asgard Computer Core. I unwrapped her from his cloak and placed her gently into the beautifully-crafted casket. She looked so peaceful. I brushed her bangs from her closed eyes. A small tear escaped from my right eye and I half-expected her to sit up and brush it away from my face, but she didn't. That made even more tears run from my eyes as the grief for my sister took over. John walked up to me from behind and placed his hand on my shoulder like he did at the Keyblade Graveyard. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault," I said. "She knew what she was doing, and I know she had the best intentions at heart. She knew that Vanitas' Darkness would destroy everything."

"Let's go," he said as he walked over to the other side and grabbed one of the bars. I grabbed the other and we wheeled the coffin out to the ring platform. "We have a funeral to plan, and I'm sure your parents need comforting."

"Yeah, let's go," I said and nodded toward my friend. I wished my return home would have been under happier circumstances, but I knew that I couldn't change the past and John wouldn't change it. The damage was done, and our hearts needed to heal.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: How did you like it? Next update will be Creeping Death, then Hearts of the Olympians, then Her Scars. The next chapter will deal with Yami's funeral and whatever the mystery narrator is doing. I won't say a word on who heshe is, but you will not be disappointed. Thank you to my readers for enjoying this story. Until next time, friends...


	5. Healing, Grieving, and Conspiring

Author's Note: Hello. Here's the new chapter of Light and Dark. There are a couple of PoV switches in this chapter and two mystery narrators. You'll have to read to find out cause I won't tell XD. Not much else to say. Enjoy...

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><p><em><strong>John's PoV:<strong>_

Hikari, Serah, and I beamed down into Sora and Kairi's backyard. I looked at Yami's casket. It was so heartbreaking to know she was lying inside. I remembered the day she and Hikari were born. They were such beautiful babies, and Yami grew into a beautiful young woman. Her death was so untimely. Yami had been far too young to have died such a brutal death. And if Larxene had truly returned, then this could be very bad. I never knew her, per say, but I'd gone to the past to see Sora fight her in Castle Oblivion, which was mere days before I became a Nobody. She was truly evil and if she could escape the Underworld, then things could turn ugly really quickly.

I knocked on the back door and prepared to face my dear friends who had to endure such a traumatic loss. If Fang and I ever had children, I couldn't imagine ever losing them. I didn't even want to think of losing my beloved Fang. She was my Light just as Kairi was Sora's. Sora opened the door and Kairi was standing behind him. "John, Hikari, and you must be Serah," he said. "Come in, please."

"What about…" I motioned toward Yami's body.

"Take her to the garage. I've made a cold area full of Blizzaga magic in the corner. Wheel her body into the area and we'll take her to the funeral home later when we make arrangements," he said. He started to cry small tears for the loss of his daughter.

I took Yami to the cold storage area and left the girl who had become a dear friend of mine. I rejoined Sora, Kairi, Serah, and Hikari in the living room as we planned the memorial of the girl that touched our hearts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Larxene's PoV:<em>**

Oh how I hated these little meetings. I didn't escape the Underworld just to be ordered around like a subordinate. I mean, didn't this guy know who I was? I am Larxene, the Savage Nymph of Organization XIII. I would have ruled the worlds alongside Marluxia if that brat with the Keyblade hadn't killed me. Oh well, he had been paid back. Vanitas Remnant's Darkness possessing his daughter to kill herself was satisfying to me. I only wish I'd been able to see her take her last breath.

I walked through the hallways of our fortress on the small asteroid that orbited Radiant Garden. The three of us were undead, so it didn't matter if we got oxygen. I stopped by a mirror and looked at my new form. Having my heart again, it broke at the sight of what I'd become. Skin hung loosely from my face, and my blond hair patchy was falling out. I used to be young and beautiful. Now, I looked like something that was just dug up from a cemetery. And really, that's all I was.

But if we could just get that little Princess and take her life, I would be beautiful again. All we would need to do is take down that girl's brother and the time-traveling freak. That wouldn't be too hard, now would it?

I resumed my journey to the main audience chamber of our hideout. Superior was always so vain about things, so he wanted an elaborate throne room/audience chamber. It was covered in skulls and other things that represented death, along with a few Sakura trees that were magically kept alive in this zero-oxygen dump. I entered the room to find Garanox and our leader already waiting for me. It was strange. We followed this man's every word, yet I had no idea who he even was.

"You're late, Relena," the boss said, using my human name. It was the first time I'd heard that name in a long time, since I was sent to the Underworld and spoke to Charon as he took me to my eternal damnation.

"So what," I stated.

"I do not tolerate insubordination, Larxene," he said. He stood up from his throne and slowly walked toward me. I could have sworn I'd seen that walk before, but couldn't place a name. "If I say for you to show up at a certain time, then I expect you to be there."

"Well, I don't tolerate people who expect me to work for them and they don't even tell me who they are," I said furiously.

"You really wish to know?" he asked. The boss shrugged and pulled his hood down, revealing a face I never thought I'd see again.

"Oh my God," I said as I beheld his long, pink hair, his feminine features, and the cloud of cherry blossoms that fluttered behind him as his hood fell back. "Marluxia, it's been you the whole time?"

"Yes," he said. "But that doesn't matter. What we need to do is formulate our next attack pattern. The only reason you incompetent morons even survived that last strike was because the girl was possessed. You're lucky she killed herself. She was the offspring of Sora, so you know how deadly she must have been. She was more-than-likely trained by him and that former Princess. Her brother should be just as powerful."

"And what should we do about the old man?" Garanox asked, raising his gray eyebrow.

"Leave him to me. I've observed him recently and I think I have him figured out. I've consulted our old friend, Braig, and now know John's weakness to Esuna magic," Marluxia explained.

"Very well," Garanox said. "I wish to be the one to claim Serah. She is defenseless and with you two keeping the Keybearer and the Nobody occupied, she will be quite easy to kill."

"Coward," I muttered under my breath. Garanox hadn't done anything since he fought Sora's daughter on Radiant Garden. It sickened me to think that he wanted to take the easy way out. He reminded me of Vexen, always trying to be on the sidelines and never doing anything. I rejoined the conversation as we tried to think of ways to accomplish our goal.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Yami's PoV:<em>**

The pain from my wound had disappeared, but was soon replaced with an unbearable heat searing on my back. I opened my eyes and looked down to see that I was falling toward a river of lava. Fear crept over my heart and I went into a full-blown panic. I scrambled for anything that would help me and remembered that dad taught me a maneuver that would let me glide on warm air currents. I concentrated on trying to remember how to do it. I saw the fire getting closer and almost gave up hope. I tried one, last time and managed to catch an updraft that was enough to carry me to safety.

I landed on the rough ground at the banks of the river. Pain seared through my body as my flesh was cut, but it was better than burning in that fire. I stood up and dusted myself off. That was when it hit me like a speeding bullet. I was really dead. I realized that my skin was paler from a lack of blood and I didn't have to breathe. "Oh no," I said as my death became so much more real. The memories came flooding back to me.

"Oh yes," a voice called out from the Darkness. I heard the rustling of chains and I turned around to see a man chained to a rock. I moved closer to see his familiar face.

"Is that you dad?" I asked. This man looked exactly like my father, except for a few differences. His spikey hair was black and his eyes gold. There were burn marks on his face, which showed evidence of decades of pain and suffering.

"Not exactly, little hottie," he said.

"You…you're Vanitas!" I exclaimed.

"Bingo," he said. "I've been chained to this rock longer than you've been alive, and I'm sick of it!"

"You deserve it, you slime," I said spitefully.

"Never said I didn't hottie," he chuckled. "I just said I was sick of it. They let me out every now and then to fight in the games, though. I like fighting because it gives me freedom. Well, except for that time I fought your mom, that is. That red-head messed me up!"

"Umm, first of all, don't call me 'hottie.' Second, my mom is a blond," I said.

"Is that what they told you?" he said, raising a raven eyebrow and chuckling. "I may be bound here, but I know what goes on in the mortal world, and your mom isn't who you think she is."

I drew my Keyblade; surprised I still could, and held it to his throat. I didn't expect to kill him or for him to kill me since we were both dead anyway. "You're a liar," I said. "My mother is Kairi Hikari. She has blond hair and purple eyes and wields a Keyblade."

"Yeah, I know her name," he said, laughing at my attempt to be threatening. "And when I knew her she was a red-head with violet-blue eyes. She was really hot too. Is she still hot? Does she get around a lot?"

"Shut up, you pervert!" I yelled as I pressed Destiny's Embrace closer to his throat. "My mom is a saint! She's something you never could have been, a human being!"

"Hey, I've got a heart," Vanitas said, backing down. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a human being, albeit I was more Unversed than human, but hey, I've got more of an existence than that idiot Ventus."

"Why don't you just shut up and give me some answers. What do you mean about my mom not being who I think she is?" I asked.

"Why don't I just show you," he said. He flicked his wrist a few times and clouds formed into a portal. He was showing me the past.

I saw things that I never thought would be possible. I saw a beautiful woman with red eyes and blond hair plunging what appeared to be claws into the chest of a red-haired woman, who had the same light signature I felt around Serah. She must have been a Princess of Heart. A bright light engulfed both of them and when the light went away, mom was standing there. But there was something different about her. I could sense an air of evil unlike anything I'd ever felt before. She was holding a sword that I recognized as the X-blade.

"What is all this?" I asked in disbelief.

"Your mom was a Princess of Heart Yami," he said. "Terra's apprentice, created by Xehanort to be my replacement, was possessed by her Darkness and tried to absorb your mom. Unfortunately for the old man, Crystal and Kairi were a bit tougher than he estimated. They destroyed the monster in their hearts and your mom got the new, sexier body."

"How can I believe any of this at all?" I asked. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

"Cross my heart," he said. "You could ask your father, but that's not gonna happen for a while. Unless…"

"Unless what," I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"Unless you release me, then I can help you bust out of here," he said. "We can bypass the whole 'soul-for-soul' deal and both of us can get out. All you have to do is cut me down."

"How can I be sure I can trust you Vanitas?" I was severely skeptical of his motives, but what did I have to lose? I was dead. There weren't many worse things that could happen to me.

"You can't," he said, smiling an evil version of dad's trademark grin. He looked so much like my father that it wasn't even funny. It was actually pretty scary. "But what have you got to lose? You're already in Hell. Not much else can happen, hottie."

I thought about that one for a moment. I scanned my eyes over the harsh terrain around me. Did I really want to spend the rest of eternity in that place? My eyes followed the molten river Phlegethon as far as I could see. The lava bubbled and I could feel the heat radiate from where I stood on the banks. Eventually, some form of demon would come to throw me in that thing anyway, so I decided the risk of freeing Vanitas would be worth it. "Ok," I said finally. "I'll set you free, but you have to promise that you won't pull any tricks."

"I would cross my heart, but I'm already dead," he said. "But I promise." I raised Destiny's Embrace and cut away his chains. I then used the Keyblade to unlock the shackles around his wrists and feet. Vanitas rubbed his wrists, as if they were sore from decades of hanging like that. "I forgot to mention one thing, beautiful. I'm a compulsive liar!"

Vanitas raised his own Keyblade to me and immediately attacked. I tried to deflect his blow, but he knocked my Keyblade out of my hands and it flew into the river of lava. I watched as my Keyblade was destroyed by the fires of the Phlegethon. "How could you?" I spat in disbelief. I really should have seen that coming, though. All I'd been told about him should have warned me not to trust a word he would say. Though, I somehow knew he wasn't lying about mom and Crystal.

"I need more Darkness so I can get out of here in one piece, hottie," he said, using the nickname that I despised to hear from him. "This won't hurt…much." Vanitas instantly turned into a smoke-like vapor and his essence invaded my nose and mouth, flooding my soul with Darkness. I could feel him taking over.

I collapsed to the ground, my body twisting and contorting into painful knots as I lost my selfhood. "No…you won't…use me for this!" I said defiantly. I somehow found a Light deep within my being and tried to fight the Darkness overtaking me. I summoned all my willpower to defeat this demon that possessed me. I stood up and screamed as loud as I could. My chest erupted with a plume of Darkness, Light, and Nothingness as I felt myself regain control. Vanitas was the one losing his selfhood now. I felt as his consciousness was dragged into the Darkness of my heart. I had successfully absorbed all of his being and felt myself grow so much more powerful than before. I started to despair about the loss of my Keyblade, but just as I let out a sigh, a blinding light flashed in my right hand. It was a brand new Keyblade. The blade was razor sharp and looked like the main blade of dad's Ultima. The hilt was shaped like a star, similar to the Paopu Fruit. The teeth were comprised of four more stars connecting at each other's tips to form a diamond-shaped star cluster. The word "Supernova" endlessly repeated in my heart. The blade's general color was yellow for the stars and blue for the blade. I knew this new Keyblade was my ticket to escaping the Underworld. Vanitas hadn't lied about one thing. He was right that we would escape together, but he didn't count on me being in control.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hikari's PoV:<strong>_

It was so hard, walking to the front of the church to see my sister, lifeless in a casket. She looked so peaceful in death, though her death hadn't come so peacefully. I knew she suffered in those last moments of life.

I took my seat at the front row between Mom and John. Serah was on the other side of John. I looked over to her and she faked a smile for me. It was sad to see a girl as beautiful as she was so broken. I then looked to mom and she was falling apart at the seams. Her hands clutched dad's suit jacket tightly as she cried silent tears for Yami. The funeral just made everything so much more real, more final. I was coming to terms with the fact my amazing sister had actually died, and by her own hand! It was bad enough knowing she died, but to see her, in person, commit suicide was too much.

I cleared my throat and held back my tears of grief as the priest stepped up to the podium. The casket was closed just before he arrived. The man was about to speak when suddenly, the coffin flew open with a blinding Light and traces of Darkness. Everyone in the building was scared to death. I watched in disbelief as Yami bolted upright. She turned her head to meet my gaze and my heart nearly stopped. "Y…Ya…Yami…is it really you?" I stuttered, standing up and walking to her.

She stepped out of the coffin and embraced me tightly, something I thought I'd never feel again. "It is," she said. "I'm alive, and those monsters are going back to the Underworld where they belong!"

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><p>Author's Note: So, are you shocked? So many big reveals in this chapter. The leader of the Wraith's of Damnation being Marluxia, Yami learning the truth about Kairi, Yami coming back to life by absorbing Vanitas...a lot happened in such a short amount of time. XD. I had been planning to resurrect Yami for as long as I planned to kill her off. I never had any intention of leaving her dead.<p>

Destiny's Embrace has been destroyed, but she gains more power with Supernova. Funny story about it, I was randomly drawing Keyblades yesterday and drew it before ever planning on using it in the story. I also have a new Keychain for Hikari, but I'll save that for later. Hope you enjoyed the story, and your next update will either be Hearts of the Olympians or Creeping Death. Until next time, friends...


	6. New Starts and Broken Hearts

Author's Note: Sorry for the horribly, awfully long wait between chapters. I've been blocked, had things to do, and then a bout of genuine laziness. lol But I'll try to have updates faster from now on. Enjoy...

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><p>I scanned my eyes around the crowded funeral. Mom and dad were sitting in the front, mouths wide open and tears coming from mom's purple eyes. Her tears of grief for my death had turned into tears of joy for my resurrection. My knees shook and I almost collapsed as I stood on the floor, but Hikari caught me. It took my death to finally realize how much I took him for granted. I thought I wouldn't see him again for a very long time, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. I searched for my voice again. "Mom, dad," I simply said.<p>

Mom stood up first and Serah followed her. I also saw in the crowd Kyle, my best friend besides Hikari and Serah. He smiled at me and I smiled back, his jet-black hair as messy as usual. "Yami, thank the gods you're alive!" mom said. She fell into my arms and cried on my shoulder. "I thought I'd lost you forever!"

"I'm here, mom," I said. I would confront her and dad about what Vanitas had revealed to me, but only when we finally went home.

"How are you alive?" she asked.

"I had a little help," I said. "I'll tell you later when we go home, but now I'm not sure this is the appropriate place."

"Oh God, Yami," Serah said. "Please don't ever do that to me again! I was so hurt! Please, just don't leave me again!" Mom moved over so Serah could hug me tightly. "Yami, please stay with us!"

"I'm not going anywhere Serah," I said, comforting my pink-haired friend. "I'm here to stay and I'll never leave you guys like that again!"

The funeral was wrapped up and everyone, though they were happy I was alive, seemed disappointed that they came out for nothing. I didn't care, though. I was just happy to be alive and home again. I entered my house again for the first time in God knows how long. I flopped down on the couch and enjoyed the company of my family. "Ok, tell us Yami," John asked. "How did you come back? No one comes back from the dead without a soul exchange. Who took your place?"

"I didn't trade places with anyone, but," I said, biting my lip, being careful with my words, "I…released Vanitas."

"What did you just say?" dad said angrily.

"Let me finish my sentence. I released Vanitas, but then he tried to possess me. I overcame him, though, and absorbed his Darkness, making it my own." To demonstrate, I created an intensely-concentrated Dark Firaga ball in my hand. "I now have a mastery of Darkness that I've never known was possible."

"Well, that's all well and good, but can you control him? Vanitas isn't just some punk that turned to Darkness. He **Is** Darkness. There's nothing else to him besides the Darkness," John said. "How are you suppressing his will?"

"I honestly don't know," I replied. "It's just…I think I've completely absorbed him. Vanitas is gone, and now it's only me and his Darkness."

"Yami, you'd better be sure," John said. His eyes met mine. "Wait, what happened to your eyes?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"They're…well, they're still blue, but…there's gold in them…like Heartless eyes !" he said.

I jumped out of my seat and ran to the mirror on the wall. I was shocked to find three gold rings in my irises. One circled the outer edge, one went around the middle, and the third lined my pupil. It shocked me at first, but didn't bother me too badly. They were only noticeable when you were close up. But still, John seemed worried about it. "Yami, are you sure you're feeling all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said honestly. "I feel better than I've ever felt in my life." But that also scared me.

"Ok," he said. "But there's something you should know Yami. It's about your soul."

"What about it?" I asked.

"You're carrying Vanitas inside it, correct?" he asked, to which I nodded in agreement. "If that is the case, then when you die, he will die as well. But since he is a part of you now, you have to go to the same place when you die. And…Hades isn't in the habit of letting people as evil as he is into Elysium."

"What are you trying to say, John?" I asked. Fear crept into my heart as I awaited his explanation. "Are you saying…but…where am I supposed to go?"

"I'm sorry, Yami," he said. "I can't even bring myself to say it." For the first time since I'd known him, John looked like he was going to cry. Mom and dad looked at him like it had been the first time they'd seen him cry as well.

"No," I said. "I have to go back to that awful place? They're just going to send me to Hell, no questions asked? No, this can't be happening!" I collapsed to the ground and wrapped my arms around my chest.

"I won't let this happen!" dad said defiantly. "Hades may not let her through, but he's not the only ruler of the Underworld. John, we could talk to Nico and…"

"Nico only deals with the souls from his side of the multi-verse. I know he'd want to help, but Yami's soul is outside his jurisdiction," John said.

"So that's it," I asked as I stood up. "I'm just condemned to Hell for escaping from there in the first place?" To say I was pissed would be an understatement. I was furious!

"Looks that way to me, Yami," John said. "I'm sorry, but there's not much I can do about it."

"I'm leaving," I said. "I need to think about things." I turned to walk out the door, but a soft hand wrapped around my arm.

"I'm coming with you," Serah said. I knew there was no changing her mind, and I honestly wanted to spend time with her.

"Ok, let's go," I said. "We'll be back later."

Serah and I left the house and started our way toward the beach. It was a five-minute walk away from my house, so it wasn't that bad. She stayed close to me as the asphalt turned to gravel, and the gravel gave way to the grassy pathway that led to the beach. I knew of a spot no one else would go to. Serah stayed by my side, almost as if she were afraid I'd disappear.

We reached the beach and I took off my shoes, leaving them where the grass met the sand. Serah did the same. "It's so beautiful here," she said. "Radiant Garden doesn't have anything like this!"

"Yeah," I said. "It takes leaving this place to really appreciate its beauty. Such a small world," I mused.

"But, it's part of one that is so much bigger, Yami," she said.

"Yeah, you're right," I absently stated, not really paying attention to her, but instead soaking in all the natural beauty of the water. We kept walking for miles until we reached a rocky area. I jumped on top of one of the boulders and held out my hand to help Serah. She took my hand and I hoisted her to my level, almost falling backward and taking us both into the water. She helped me regain our balance and we hopped onto the next-highest rock. I sat down and she sat beside me. "Serah, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she asked.

"For leaving you guys and putting you through so much pain," I said. "The way you reacted when I came back…it showed me exactly how much grief you must have been feeling." I ran my fingers through my short, brunette hair and sighed. "I just feel so horrible for doing that to you."

"I know you meant well," she said. "You were uncontrollable in that state. You only wanted to keep yourself from hurting us. And, that's so thoughtful. I just wish there had been another way."

"You can't even begin to imagine how much I wish that as well," I said. "Serah, I don't know how I'm going to go on."

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I…I'm cursed Serah," I said. "You heard what John said. When I die…I'm…"

"Yami, don't worry," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find a way to save your soul."

"I wish I could have your optimism, Serah," I said.

"I guess I'll just have to have enough for both of us," she said laughing.

I looked down to her left hand and saw a ring that I'd never noticed before. "Serah, is that…an engagement ring?" I asked, shocked. I mean, she was only sixteen and already engaged?

"What, oh yes," she said. "Snow and I are getting married when this is all over…if I'm still alive." She hung her head down at that last statement. Though, I could tell her despair wasn't out of concern for her own life, but for Snow. "He…he would die if something ever happened to me. I just love him so much. And I know I'm only sixteen, but I'm ready for this."

"I'm happy for you, Serah," I said.

"Thanks, Yami. Do you have someone special like that, Yami?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know," I said. "There's this guy here. His name is Kyle," I said, taking a deep breath. "We grew up together and he was the only one that ever saw me and Hikari for who we were, not just 'the son and daughter of the great Sora and Kairi.' He wanted to be our friend for the right reasons."

"Sounds like a great person," she said. "Do you love him?"

"More than anything, really," I said. "But our relationship has never gone past best friends. Hikari and I have been used and hurt by so many people who only wanted to know us because of our parents and the fact we are Keyblade wielders." A tear ran down my cheek, which Serah sweetly brushed away. "Kyle loves us just because we are Yami and Hikari. He's a true friend."

"Well, he'll never know how you feel unless you tell him, Yami," she said. "I know it's easier said than done, but you need to tell him. If you're feeling this, then he has a right to know. Promise me that you'll at least try?"

"Yeah, I'll tell him if I see him tomorrow. But until then, I want to spend the rest of today with my best girlfriend ever!" I said, smiling at Serah. "And one more thing I need to mention."

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight," I said. "If something happens to me, and I get captured or…die, I want you to be able to defend yourself from Garanox, Larxene, and whoever their leader is."

"That's their names?" she asked. "I've heard of Larxene from Lea, but…didn't Sora kill her?"

"Yeah," I said. "Dad was supposed to have taken care of her 26 years ago at Castle Oblivion, but she's back somehow. Serah, the reason they want to kill you is to use your Pure-Light life force to restore their life. They're some kind of undead wraiths."

"They're just going to kill me to bring themselves back?" she said to herself.

"No, they're not. I won't let that happen," I said. "I'll die before I let them lay a finger on you. But still, if that happens, I want you to be safe. So, I'm going to teach you everything I know. I know I'm not the best Keyblade wielder in the universe. I still have a ways to go before I'm Master material, but I'll give you what you need to fight."

"Thank you, Yami," she said. She scooted over closer to me and wrapped her arms around me. I returned the hug gently. In my mind, I was trying to figure out how I could turn this fragile little girl into a killing machine.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you like it? Sorry it wasn't longer, but I couldn't flesh this chapter out any more.<p>

Funny story about Kyle, he's not originally a KH OC. I originally planned to use him as my Pokemon Trainer OC for an unfinished fanfic. I may pick the story up later, but it is on hiatus for the moment. I thought it would be interesting for Yami to have a love interest, but for one thing; I couldn't do OCxCanon because all the canon characters are in their forties/fifties, and second; I already had a single, male OC XD. But anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next update will probably be Hearts of the Olympians. Until next time, friends...


	7. Calm Before the Storm

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long wait. But here's an extra long chapter to make up for it XD. Enjoy...

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><p>Serah and I returned to my house shortly after leaving the beach. On the way, I stopped at our local Moogle's synthesis shop and asked him to forge a weapon for Serah. We ordered a custom, combination bow and double-bladed sword for her to use. He said something along the lines of "I'll have it ready in two days, Kupo" or something like that.<p>

The two of us entered my house to find dad, John, and Hikari watching TV, Hikari half asleep and dad out like a light. The aroma of dinner drifted through the air. It smelled like mom was baking a ham. Serah sat on the couch next to Hikari while I walked into the kitchen to speak with mom about the things Vanitas had revealed to me.

She was standing in front of the oven, closing the door after checking the temperature. "Mom, I need to talk to you," I said.

"Sure, anything, Yami," she said with a smile on her face.

"I know…what happened sixteen years ago. I know that you were the X-blade wielder," I said.

She gasped and almost fell backward. "Who told you? How could you know such a thing?"

"Vanitas told me in the Underworld. He…showed me visions of that night," I said.

"I guess it was foolish of me to think that I could hide the truth from you forever," she said, covering her eyes with her right hand and leaning on the kitchen counter for support.

I moved closer to mom and wrapped my arms around her as she let out soft tears. "Why didn't you just tell me?" I asked.

"Because I'm so ashamed of that," she said. "Crystal and I both are ashamed. It was the single most-traumatic night of our lives. Every time I look in the mirror and see…and see this body…it makes me sick! Every day I wish that I could go back to the way I was. But that innocent red-head died a long time ago. Now…now I'm a monster!"

"You're not a monster, mom," I said, comforting her. "You're the kindest, most caring woman I've ever known in my whole life. And I'm not just saying that because you're my mother. It's the absolute truth! I love you, and always will, no matter what." I held my mother tighter than ever and she returned the embrace.

"Yami, I almost killed you!" she said. "If yours and Hikari's light hadn't been so bright, the Demon would have killed you!"

"That wasn't you, mom," I said. "It was the Darkness that possessed you and Crystal. I don't think any less of you for that. I love you."

"I love you and Hikari more than anything," she said. "When you were born…it was the happiest day of my life! Sora passed out while watching, but when I got to hold you for the first time, I sensed your Darkness. I knew that you would be something great, and you're already living past my greatest hopes for you. I'm so proud, Yami."

"I'm going to go wash up before dinner, maybe take a shower too," I said, hugging mom once more.

"Ok," she said. "It should be ready in a few minutes."

I walked up to my room to grab a fresh pair of underwear, basketball shorts, and tank top. I picked a white tank top with a black undershirt that slightly exposed my stomach. I saw one in the attic that mom used to wear when she was younger and just had to have my own. It was too cute! I took them to the bathroom with me and locked the door. I stripped down and stepped in the shower. The warm water felt so good after a long day at the beach with Serah.

After I felt cleaner and refreshed, I turned the water off and stepped out. I noticed something on my chest as I walked to the mirror. I inspected the area between my breasts to find that I had a scar. It was long and thin. I realized that it was the scar that was made when I stabbed myself. I touched it and it still stung. It was barely noticeable, only a shade lighter than the rest of my skin. I had a feeling I'd carry that for the rest of my life. It hurt to see it, knowing that I did that to myself. But there was no use in crying over it. I did it, it was over, and I was alive again.

I dressed myself and walked back downstairs to see everyone already at the table, waiting on me. I felt bad that I took so long, but my hunger quickly overruled my heart. I sat down and filled my plate with food. It was gone before I could even blink. Food seemed to taste better after I'd been dead. I enjoyed every bite. After I'd already gone through seconds, I excused myself to my room. Serah would be sharing the room with me while John and Hikari slept in the guest room. Hikari surprisingly didn't seem to mind giving up his bed to Serah. I think he had a little crush on her, to be honest. It would kill him to find out she was practically married.

I lay down on the small bed at the window and looked out to the small training island. I then shifted my eyes to scan the ocean. It was so dark outside, but the water looked beautiful as it reflected the moonlight. I sighed, dreading the thought of having to leave this place. I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

It was Serah, wearing a pink nightgown. She walked over to where I sat and I scooted over so she could sit too. "This view is so beautiful," she said. "It reminds me of when I would look out the window of my old room back home. I could see the Rising Falls and the expansive ocean we had."

"But on the beach, you said you didn't have anything like this on Radiant Garden," I said.

"It's not a peaceful sea, and we don't have beaches. It's surrounded by the mountains that the castle was built into. The water isn't clear like this. It's white and murky and always churning," she explained. "This water is so blue and beautiful!"

"I'm glad you love it here," I said. "When this is all over, maybe you and Snow can have a house here."

"I'd love that," she said. "But…I could never leave Claire or the others. I'd miss them all too much. Before I met you, Hikari, and John, they were the only real friends I had. Everyone else looked at me like I was this goddess or whatever. And every time I did something out of line, like sneak out after curfew to see Snow, they'd act like I'd tainted my Pure Light or something." She rolled her eyes after the last sentence" I've walked a thin rope for most of my life. I've always just wanted to be a normal girl. Yami, honestly, I want Darkness in my heart!" She sighed and continued to stare out the window.

"You have no idea what Darkness is capable of, Serah," I said. "Most of my heart is Darkness now, and I hate it so much!" I said. "Your situation seems a whole lot better than mine. You don't have to worry about losing yourself. You have a constant Light to guide you."

"So do you, Yami," she said. "Your family and friends are your Light. Hikari, Kyle, Sora, Kairi, Riku, all of them, they're all you need to stay on the right path." She smiled at me and put her arm on my shoulder. "And I'll be your light too."

"Thanks, Serah," I said. Looking at her now, I could see that she had such a strong heart. Light practically radiated from her, adding to her natural beauty and giving off a warm feeling throughout the whole room. "Wow, you're so pretty." I covered my mouth, not meaning to say that out loud.

"Huh?" she said. "Did you just say I'm pretty?"

"Yeah, just thinking out loud," I said. "But it's true."

"Thanks. So are you, Yami," she said. "I'd kill to have a figure like yours."

"You'd probably have to," I said, patting my toned abs. I wasn't extremely muscular, but you could feel a hard six-pack under my skin. "Train as a Keyblade Apprentice for fifteen years, and anyone would look like this." I laughed and Serah joined in.

"I don't think I could ever wield a Keyblade. I don't think my heart is strong enough," she said.

"Of course it is, Serah," I said. "After I'm promoted to Master, you can be my apprentice, if you'd like."

"I think I'll take a pass on that," she said with a cute chuckle in her voice. "It seems like such a stressful life, being a Keyblade wielder. I don't think I could handle it."

"It is very stressful, but I love it," I said. "Even through the pain of being taken advantage of by people and all the physical pain I've suffered during training, I still wouldn't trade this life for anything…except maybe a Pure Light heart."

"How much physical pain have you experienced during your training?" she asked.

"I've broken both arms twice each, received multiple gashes to my waist, stomach, legs, and even my throat, broken my right leg three times, and almost collapsed a lung," I said as Serah's eyes widened. "If it weren't for mom or dad being there with a Curaga spell or Mega-Potion, I'd have been dead many times now."

"Then I definitely don't want to be a Keyblade wielder," she said. "That's horrible, all that you had to go through to get to where you are now. But I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight, Yami, and I love you."

"Night, Serah," I said. "Love you too. You're like the sister I never had."

"And you're like the other sister I always wanted," she said. "Lightning is the only other girl that understands me as much as you do."

"And you're the only girl that understands me at all," I said as I clicked off the light next to my bed and rolled over so I was facing the wall. I closed my eyes so I could drift off into a deep sleep.

In my dreams, I saw the horrible faces of Vanitas, Larxene, and Garanox. Strangely, I felt another presence there too, but when I searched for it, all I saw were millions of Sakura petals drifting in the wind and the shadow of what appeared to be a large scythe hovering over me, poised to strike a death-blow. I heard a man's maniacal laughter as the shadow came closer to me. I woke up right as the blade pierced my back.

I screamed in pain. I bolted upright and touched the place where the scythe cut me. I didn't feel a wound and the pain disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Yami, are you alright?" Serah asked, already dressed for the day. I looked at the clock and it was already noon.

"Yeah, just…had a bad dream," I said. "I'm gonna go take a shower and get dressed."

"Alright, if you say so," she said with concern in her voice. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Ok," I said. I walked to my dresser and picked out my undergarments. Then, I went to my closet and fished out a pair of dark jeans and a red cropped top. It was supposed to be a hot day, so I didn't want to overdress. I'd done that before and almost had heatstroke.

I stepped into the shower, going through my same routine and making sure I was clean. Today's mission: to talk to Kyle and tell him my feelings. I honestly thought it would be harder than any enemy I could ever face. But…I knew it had to be done.

After the shower and getting dressed, I walked downstairs, meeting dad at the foot of the steps. "Morning, dad," I said. I looked at him and felt uneasy.

"Are you ok, Yami?" he asked.

"Huh, yeah," I said. "It's just…I'm sorry. I guess it's just because…you look so much like Vanitas and…I'm sorry. I feel horrible."

"It's ok, Yami," he said. "I've seen Vanitas, and it made it hard to look at my reflection for a while. Looking in the mirror, I felt like he was looking back at me."

"Love you dad," I said.

"I love you too, Yami," he said as he ruffled my short hair and walked to the kitchen.

I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Kyle's phone number, hoping he was home. It rang for a minute until he finally answered. "Hello," he said.

"Hey, it's me, Yami," I said. "I was wondering if you could meet me on the usual hill."

"Sure, I'll be right there, but what's this about? You sound like you've got something on your mind."

"I'll tell you when you get there," I said, taking a deep breath. "See you in a few minutes?"

"Yeah, see ya," he said before hanging up.

I walked to the front door and was stopped by Hikari. "And where are you going?" he asked, raising one of his blood-red eyebrows comically and stretching one arm across the doorway.

"Somewhere," I said, blushing and turning my head to the side.

"Somewhere, or to meet someone?" he asked, his grin widening from ear to ear. "I'm just messing with ya, Yami. Go on, I know who you're meeting."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you too well, and I have your phone tapped," he said.

"What?" I asked angrily.

"Just kidding," he said. He raised his hands in front of him in surrender. "I just overheard you from the other room. Relax, Yami."

I left the house and ran to the grassy area where I was to meet Kyle. He, Hikari, and I would play there when we were kids and it was now our second-favorite hangout spot. The other was the training island. As kids, we'd fight with wooden swords before Hikari and I could fully control our Keyblades. We still played with wooden swords with Kyle, but most of mine and Hikari's personal sparring matches were with our Keyblades.

As soon as I arrived at the spot, I sat down on the grass, waiting for Kyle. I sat there, alone, and reflected on everything that happened with Vanitas, how my soul was condemned to the fires of the Underworld thanks to him. A tear escaped my eye as I thought of how I'd be separated from my family for eternity and couldn't meet them in Elysium. The fires of the Phlegethon would be such a miserable place, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it!

"What am I going to do?" I asked myself.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I know you'll make the right decision," a voice called from behind me.

"Kyle," I said in shock. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Only about thirty seconds," he said. I stood up, straightening out my shirt and putting my hands in my pockets as I walked over to him. I looked into his deep, cerulean eyes and my heart nearly stopped. Kyle looked like an islander more than I did, really. He was very dark-tanned from the sun. Compared to my pale complexion, you'd think I was from Radiant Garden or Halloween Town.

"Kyle…there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time, and I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to say it again. But…I've had…I feel…I…"

Kyle stepped over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I think I know what you're trying to say, Yami," he said, looking down at me with a smile. "And…I honestly have felt the same way for so long! I was just…"

"Afraid I didn't feel the same," I asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

"I wanted to let you know that I love you…just in case I don't come home ever again," I said. I choked up at that last bit.

"You will come home again, Yami," he reassured. "And I'll be right here waiting for you."

He leaned his head down to kiss me. It was a simple peck on the lips at first, but then I grabbed handfuls of his long, black hair to pull him down for a more intense kiss. It was so amazing to finally have our feelings confessed to each other. A weight that I'd been carrying for most of my life had been lifted from my shoulders. He made me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth, and I couldn't have been happier. I knew, however, that this was simply the calm before the storm. I prepared for the worst, but hoped for the best. But for that moment, I was happily in the arms of the man who loved me.

Kyle and I stayed out the whole day, just being with each other. It was so great, but the day eventually had to end. The next day, I would pick up Serah's new weapon and teach her the basics of combat.

I arrived home before sundown and was met by Serah, who was on her way upstairs. "Serah, sorry I was so late," I said.

"It's ok," she said. "Hikari kept me company while you were gone."

"How did you resist the urge to kill him?" I asked jokingly.

"It was…very difficult," she replied with a chuckle. "We didn't really do anything because he would constantly doze off every fifteen minutes."

"That's Hikari for ya," I said. "He only knows three things: Eat, Sleep, and Keyblade."

"Yeah, but he's nice. You're lucky to have a brother like him, Yami," she said.

"I know," I said. "I love him so much. He's been my best friend and one of the few constants in my crazy life." I thought of my twin brother. Sure, he could be goofy and borderline-annoying, but I wouldn't have ever traded him for anything! "Hey, I gotta see John about something for a second, but I'll be upstairs in a few minutes." I thought about the dream I had. It was still in my mind, and so vivid. It had to mean something more than the aftermath of last night's dinner.

I found the wandering Nobody in the living room with dad, watching the Blitzball game on TV. Dad's friend, Wakka, was the star player of the Besaid Aurochs, and he never missed a game. Sure, they weren't the best team ever, but dad still enjoyed watching his old friend, who was the best player and only one who ever scored, play. "John, can I talk to you about something?" I asked.

"Sure, Yami," he said as he stood up and walked over to me. Once we were alone, I felt comfortable talking. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I had…this strange dream last night. It was so vivid that I thought it was real at first. Sakura petals were falling all around me and I could hear this man…he was laughing at me. He…he swung this giant scythe at me and sliced my back open. I thought I was going to die until I woke up. It just…didn't seem right," I explained. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"

John's eyes opened wide. "No," he said. "I was afraid when Larxene came back, but never in a million years did I ever think that HE would return!"

"Who is 'he'?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in confusion.

"Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin," he said. "He was Number XI in Organization XIII. Your father killed him along with Larxene at Castle Oblivion, but this is bad if he truly has returned!"

I knew things had been bad before, but dad had told me about Marluxia. He almost killed dad, Donald, Goofy, and Namine. Dad calls that one of the most difficult battles he's ever fought. I prepared myself to face this deadly monster, but no amount of preparation would change the fact of how dangerous Marluxia could be!

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you like it? I thought it would be cute to have Yami wear a shirt like Kairi's KH1 outift lol Idk, it just seemed like a good idea, Yami being her daughter and all. So, Marluxia has finally decided to reveal himself to Yami. Can they defeat him and survive? Or will one of them be lost forever? Stay tuned for more updates as the story continues XD. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	8. Things Change

Author's Note: So, this is a pretty fast update XD. I wrote most of this chapter today, as in five of the six pages lol. We're nearing the climax of the story, so stay tuned. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>I went to bed with a lot on my heart. Serah tried to ask what was wrong, but I just told her I was fine. I knew she didn't buy it, but she didn't pry into the matter. I was kind of glad she didn't, too. I didn't want to cause her to worry about me more than she already did.<p>

All I could think of was Marluxia. The stories dad and Namine told me, as well as John's reaction to his resurrection, made me very uneasy. I was completely terrified. I didn't want to die, but at the same time, I knew I wouldn't hesitate to give my life for Hikari, John, and Serah. Of course, what use would I be to them if I was killed? All logic had been thrown away as soon as Larxene, Marluxia, and Garanox' corpses reanimated. I didn't look for anything to make sense anymore.

I woke up the next morning, ready to train Serah. I got up early and went to pick up her new weapon. It was the most beautiful non-Keyblade weapon I'd ever seen. With the simple push of a button, it would transform from a bow to a dual-bladed sword. "Thanks," I said to the Moogle as I handed him the Munny.

"You're welcome, Kupo. Come back any time, Kupo," he said. It made me wonder what exactly "Kupo" meant. I dismissed the thought. I needed all my attention to be put into training Serah for the short amount of time we had to do it.

I met Serah at my training island and we got to work. "Are you sure I can do this?" she asked as she got the feel of handling her bow. "I've never fired a weapon before, and I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me," I said. "And if you do, I brought extra Hi-Potions to heal our wounds."

Serah's eyes widened and she squeaked when I said "our wounds." I guess she hadn't counted on getting hurt. I tried my hardest to hold back, but a few cuts and scrapes were unavoidable.

After a full day of teaching Serah the basics of combat, I felt she was improving at an alarming rate. I knew I'd never be able to teach her everything I knew, but I wanted to at least prepare her to fight someone more powerful than she was. She needed at least a fighting chance to buy enough time to run away or something. We both collapsed to the sand as the sun started to go down. John came in another boat to check on our progress. "Hey girls, how was training today?" he asked. His red eyes seemed to glow like the red light of the horizon. Those eyes carried an intimidating, yet stunning quality. Strange eye colors were definitely one of the perks of being mostly Darkness.

"It was great," I said. "Serah is really getting the hang of fighting. Her aim with that bow is astounding. She almost shot me through the heart with it!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Yami," she said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to almost kill you."

"Oh, you wouldn't have killed me," I said. "I'm a little stronger than that! But yeah, she's very amazing with it."

"That's good," he said. "Maybe soon she can…" John didn't finish his sentence. He gasped loudly. His eyes opened wide in shock and blood started to pour out of his mouth. His body shook and he dropped face-first into the sand, a yellow throwing knife in his back and Larxene standing behind him.

"John, no," I screamed with tears in my eyes. "You…how did you find us?" I asked angrily.

"I followed Serah's Pure Light trail," she replied casually as she pulled the knife from John's back, causing him to howl in pain. He was completely incapacitated from the deadly wound, the knife severing his spinal column and paralyzing him from the chest down. I knew he'd die if we didn't do something. "And this Nobody needs to learn to be aware of his surroundings!" She kicked him in the side.

"Stop it!" I yelled. "You're such a coward, attacking John from the shadows like that! Only a coward attacks from behind!" My blood was boiling. John didn't deserve that! He'd been a dear friend to me, Hikari, and Serah. I respected and loved the man like he was a part of my family. I drew my Supernova Keyblade again and held it up to Larxene. "I'm going to send you to Hell, even if I have to personally escort you there!"

"I've already been there," she said. "I have no intention of going back any time soon, but I can send you there, if you'd like. I sense Vanitas in you, and I know where he has to go!" She took notice of my new Keyblade. "Huh, different Key, but you'll suffer the same fate regardless!" She laughed with the most deranged chuckle I'd ever heard. I charged at her with my Keyblade and she deflected it with the knives between her fingers. She started to teleport all around me and I had to concentrate so I could tell where she was at any given time. She disappeared from my vision for a split second and I felt a pain in my left thigh. I looked down just as the wound exploded in a shower of blood. I cried out in pain and collapsed into the sand. She had Serah in her arms. A knife was at her throat and I was powerless to do anything about it.

"You, don't you even dare to hurt her," I commanded. "I swear on all the gods of Olympus that I'll kill you if you hurt Serah!"

"That'll be an empty promise," Larxene said with a condescending tone in her voice. "I'll kill Serah and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Just then, a familiar Keyblade came flying and hit Larxene in the back, knocking Serah out of her grasp and giving me the time to heal my cut. Hikari had struck Larxene with a Strike Raid attack. "Leave them alone, witch," he said. "Next time, it won't be your back. It will be your neck!"

Larxene stood up and retreated into a Corridor of Darkness. Hikari ran toward me and John. I flipped John over and held him in my arms. "John, hang in there. I'm going to heal you," I said. I started to raise my hand over him for a Curaga spell, but he pushed me away.

"No," he said. "I promised myself that next time I was at death's door, I'd let myself die. I've lived a long life, and my time here is over. I used my powers too many times to cheat death, so it's appropriate that I let nature take its course."

"Long life…you're only 46 years old!" I cried.

"I only aged 46 years, Yami," he coughed. He didn't have much time left. "I don't age outside my native time period. In reality, I'm over two hundred years old. I've lived many lifetimes and watched countless events unfold. I've truly been blessed to see all that I've seen, and I'm happy I got to help you. But now, it's all up to you three. Make me proud, Yami, and destroy Larxene, Garanox, and Marluxia!" Black tendrils of Darkness started to circle around his body.

"What about Fang? You need to stay alive for your wife!" I pleaded. "She loves you so much, and you're just going to leave her alone?"

"She knows what I intended to do," he said. "She understands, and she's a strong woman. She'll make it. But I'm out of time, Yami. Goodbye and I'll see you again in the Underworld." John breathed one more time and closed his eyes as the Darkness surrounded his body. When the Darkness cleared, all that was left was a purple and pink crystal shaped like a fang. I picked up the crystal and felt all the power that radiated from it. It showed me memories from its former owner, John's wife, Oerba Yun Fang. I put the former l'Cie's crystal in my pocket and walked over to Hikari and Serah. Serah had a hand at her neck, rubbing the spot the blade irritated.

"Oh God," Serah said, covering her mouth with her hand. "I can't believe John is dead!" She started to cry and Hikari and I held her tightly. "I didn't even get to know him that well until recently! I mean, I'd heard things about him from Fang and even seen him a few times, but I never got to know him."

"I know, it's so unreal, what just happened," Hikari commented. "I wish I'd have come sooner! I could have saved him!"

"What made you come here in the first place?" I asked.

"I got a bad feeling and sensed an awful presence invading the islands. I had to find you three quickly, but I guess I'm too late," he said. He hung his head low.

"You're not too late, Hikari," Serah said sweetly. "You saved my life, and I'm so glad you came." She planted an innocent kiss on his cheek and his face turned redder than his hair. "Maybe we should head back before Larxene comes with reinforcements."

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I said. "We need to leave this world as soon as we can. And it looks like we won't have John to help us anymore." I just couldn't believe John was dead. After all we'd been through together, he was just gone, just like that that! I was deeply disturbed when I watched his body fade into Darkness, but I knew I'd see him again. That is, if I ever got Vanitas out of me so I could enter Elysium.

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><p>Hikari pulled in our driveway and took the keys out of the ignition of mom's car. He'd "borrowed" it to check in on us, but mom wouldn't be worried about that after hearing the news. We entered the house, bloodied and broken, and were greeted by my parents. "Yami, Hikari, Serah, you three look absolutely terrible," mom said. "What happened, and where's John?" She looked all around, but she wouldn't find him.<p>

I tried my hardest not to cry. "Mom, John is dead," I said, finally breaking. "He came to check up on me and Serah, but Larxene found us and killed him! I tried to heal him, but he asked me to let him die."

"My God," she gasped. "No, this can't be…John can't be…" she started to cry, mourning her old friend. Dad wrapped his arms around her lovingly. Though, he clenched his fists tightly behind her back out of rage toward Larxene. "I still remember that day he washed up here on the Destiny Islands all those years ago. And now, he's gone? This can't be happening!"

"I'm here, Kai," dad said. "I love you, and I know John had his reasons for telling Yami not to heal him. That man knew how to cheat death very well, so I guess he had enough of running from fate."

"Yeah, but still…" mom said.

"I know, and I'm here, baby," dad said. He kissed the top of her head. I noticed her blond hair tickled his nose, but he didn't let it bother him much.

"We're getting away from here just in case Larxene and her friends come back," I said. "Dad, did John tell you who Larxene and Garanox are working for? We discovered it yesterday."

"No, who is it?" he asked.

"Marluxia has returned," I said darkly.

"This can't be," he gasped as he let go of mom for the moment. "You can't face him alone, Yami! It took me, Donald, and Goofy to barely defeat him. You…"

"And I have Hikari and Serah with me," I said. "Dad, I can do this. Please, let us do this…for John!"

"Well, you're not exactly a kid anymore, so I can't tell you that you can't," he said. "But please, be careful out there! He may look delicate and vulnerable, but he's the most deadly opponent I've ever faced! I honestly wish Namine hadn't reminded me of that part of Castle Oblivion. Don't let Marluxia get inside your mind. He'll try to break your spirit before he actually kills you."

"I promise, dad," I said.

"Yeah, dad," Hikari reaffirmed.

"You can count on us, Mr. Nomura," Serah said. I smiled as I looked at my brother and best friend. I knew Kyle was cheering me on as well.

"I love you, dad," I said. I hugged him tightly as if it were the last time I'd ever see dad.

"I love you too, Yami," he said. "And I have something for you. King Mickey wanted me to pass this down to the next Darkness-wielder in my family." Dad walked to a picture on the wall and took it down, revealing a hidden safe. He dialed the combination and it opened to reveal a small box. He picked up the box and carried it back to me. "This is a very powerful Keychain. It's the Kingdom Key D, and The King wielded it for many years until his retirement a few years ago. Take it, and put it on Supernova. Your Keyblade will change into something to amplify your Darkness. You see, this is my Keyblade's counterpart from the Realm of Darkness."

I opened the box and took the chain out. It was a simple, gold chain with a golden token at the end in the shape of The King's head. I immediately drew Supernova and replaced the Keychain. The blade stayed the same length, but the shape changed drastically. The blade turned gold while the guard became silver. In shape, it looked exactly like dad's Kingdom Key. It was his Key's inverted doppelganger. "Thanks dad," I said. "This thing is going straight up Marluxia's…"

"There's no time to waste, Yami," Hikari said. "We've got to get out of here before innocent people get hurt!"

"Right," I said. "Goodbye, mom, dad, and I love you both."

"We love you too, Yami," mom said. "Now, go and make me proud." She mirrored John's last words slightly. I knew we all had a long, hard battle in front of us. And it would be even harder without John, but I had faith in Hikari and Serah that they would have my back until the very end!

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><p>Author's Note: Well, I guess you weren't expecting that, now were you? lol Yeah, John is dead. And I have no plans to revive him, either. But this won't be the last story I ever write for him. I will still use him for stories that take place before this, and maybe even have his spirit visit like I did with Xion in A Heart Divided. Not to mention AU fics and alternate timelines. Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	9. Storm on the Horizon

Author's Note: Hey guys. I wanted to go ahead and get this chapter out. Tomorrow, and probably for a few days, I won't have internet access since I'm going back home and, being gone for about a month and a half, the internet bill had been let go lol. So, I wanted to go ahead and finish this before I'm cut off lol. Enjoy...

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><p>After packing a few clothes and saying our goodbyes, Hikari, Serah, and I ran to the ring platform in the backyard. Luckily, the Highwind was still in orbit, so we didn't have to go all the way to the hangar in the volcano. We beamed up to the ship and settled in. I programmed a random world into the navigation and set the ship on autopilot.<p>

"Where are we even going?" Hikari asked, already bored.

"I don't know," I said. "But anywhere is good as long as mom and dad don't get caught up in this." I sat down and hung my head between my knees in exhaustion.

"I'm going to the training room. Wanna come with me," he asked. "You can test out that new Keyblade."

"Ok," I said. We walked to the training room and locked the door. I didn't want Serah to come in and get hurt by accident because when Hikari and I trained together, we didn't hold back. After practicing together for most of our lives, we were comfortable using our full power against each other.

"Get ready, sis," he said. I laughed and drew Kingdom Key D while he took a new Keyblade. I recognized it as one of Roxas' Keyblades. "Dad gave me this one while you and Serah were gone. Well, Roxas technically gave it to me, but he did it through dad." It was long and sharp. The color alternated black and white and it was adorned with Nobody Emblems. The Keychain was Roxas' necklace, and the teeth were shaped like the spikes of the Nobody emblem. "I've been waiting to test out Two Become One on something, and I think you're just the right opponent. Think fast," he said as he launched himself toward me.

I blocked a downward, backhanded strike from Hikari and countered by trying to kick his legs out from under him. He jumped and launched Firaga downward on me. I quickly raised a Blizzaga shield and shot a hundred ice shards infused with Darkness at him. He deflected each of them and rolled away from me. I closed the distance with Thunder Surge and nearly electrocuted him. His Keyblade clashed with mine in a shower of sparks. We continued to trade blows at light speed. It was all I could do to keep up with him. Sometimes I wondered if, like Vanitas had been in me, Ventus was inside Hikari. Though, I didn't have all of Vanitas in me, just a bit of his Darkness leftover from dad. But it really made me think with Hikari's fighting style that he was some new form of Ventus. It amazed me how my brother could fight so quickly and still know what he was doing. I was more about power and offensive magic. We complimented each other with our different styles and made evenly-matched opponents. That was the reason we weren't afraid to use our full strength, because we knew we'd never land a hit on the other anyway.

Hikari backflipped away from me and charged Mega Flare, ready to unleash the fiery ball in my direction. "Oh, crap," I said. The flame came toward me and I did the only thing I knew to do. "Reflega," I shouted as the magic barrier surrounded me. The heat from the blast came through the shield, but I was relatively safe. I waited for the flames to die down before making my next move. I whispered "Zantetsuken" and made a lightning-fast slashing motion toward Hikari. He blocked with his Keyblade, but was sent flying back into a wall. Out of breath, he raised his hands and dismissed his Keyblade in surrender. "Well, that was fun," I said.

"Yeah, you're definitely stronger than the last time we fought," he said. "Vanitas really must have given you a boost in power!"

"Yeah, but I still wish I didn't have it. But I was desperate to get out of the Underworld, so I made the stupid mistake of setting him free," I said with my head down.

"It wasn't stupid; you just wanted to get out of there. And…I'm glad you're back, Yami," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at my brother and smiled. "When you killed yourself, I didn't know how I was going to go on. Your dying in my arms was the most horrible thing I've ever experienced, and I almost lost my mind and my heart. You're all I have, and I love you."

"Hikari…" I said. "I'm sorry I put you through that, but I didn't see any other way. I didn't want to be a slave to the Darkness, and it was just a snap decision."

"I understand," he said. "I wouldn't want to be overtaken by Darkness, or even by Light. I'm just glad you're alive."

"Yeah, me too," I said. "I'm going to take a nap. See ya later, Hikari." I hugged my brother and left the room toward mine and Serah's room. Serah was already on her bunk, so I climbed up to my top bunk. "Hey Serah, if you're awake, wake me up in about an hour."

"Alright," she said. "I have my alarm set to wake me up in an hour too." I lay down and closed my eyes, praying I wouldn't have another dream about Marluxia. I knew I wouldn't survive another one. I didn't think he'd be able to kill me in my dream, but it might send me into a heart attack.

The nap didn't seem to last very long at all, and I woke up feeling worse than I did when I went to sleep. Serah was awake and chipper as usual. "How do you even function after so little sleep?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I didn't sleep much in the castle, either. I would stay up almost all night, sleep for four or five hours, and feel great. My body just adjusted to it, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders.

I jumped from the bunk and straightened out my clothes. I must have tossed and turned as I slept because my hair was even more of a mess than usual and my denim shorts had rubbed a red spot on my inner thigh. I walked to my dresser and grabbed a white t-shirt and changed from my red cropped top to the shirt. I was still shocked when I saw my scar on my chest, but I knew I'd just have to get used to it. I put on the shirt and walked to the bridge to check on the auto-pilot. I saw the world we were heading to, Halloween Town. I was a little excited about going there. Dad told me things about Christmas Town on the other side of the world, and how the real Santa Claus lived there. Though, it took a lot of string-pulling for dad to be put back on Santa's "Nice List" due to Riku telling him there was no Santa. But I knew we couldn't risk those undead freaks finding Christmas Town, so we'd stay mostly around the ruins of Oogie Boogie's mansion and the graveyards. At least three people were going to die, so it was a good thing we were already at a graveyard. The question was; who would those three people be: my trio, or Marluxia's trio?

I flopped down on the chair and let out a sigh. I never imagined my life would turn out like this. The journey was still unpredictable. But since when was any journey predictable? Crystal probably never thought she'd be fused with mom, and Master Kevin never thought he'd find love after Crystal, but Kevin was now married to another Keyblade wielder named Tsukiko and had a beautiful 10-year-old girl named Kurami. Kurami looked exactly like Master Kevin. I met her once, and she was the sweetest little girl I'd ever met. Life had a funny way of sneaking up on us Keyblade wielders, whether it was for the good or the bad.

"Yami, if you're still tired, I can take over and you can go back to sleep," Serah said from behind me. She was wearing a borrowed outfit of mine; a pink t-shirt and jeans. She didn't get to take many clothes from her home to begin with, and she had to leave all she brought besides her button-up shirt and plaid skirt back on the Destiny Islands because we were in such a hurry. Half of mine and Hikari's things were already here from being in storage for whenever we would go somewhere.

"I'm fine, Serah," I said. "Do you wanna train some more later? You need all that you can get if you're going to survive in case something happens to me and Hikari. If that happens, I want you to fight as long as you can, and when you can't, take this ship back to Radiant Garden and get Lightning and the others. Promise me that you'll survive and won't do anything stupid?"

"I will, and I will want to later, but only when you're not tired. I can't have my teacher at half-strength, now can I?" she asked cheerfully. I was amazed at how she could keep a smile at such a difficult time.

"I'm fine right now," I said. "Let's go work on your sword skills. I can already tell you're a natural archer, but I want to see how you handle a blade."

Serah and I returned to the training room and I locked the door. "Don't take it easy on me," I said. "I want to see all you've got!" I drew Kingdom Key D and immediately attacked her. She pressed the button on her bow and it transformed into a sword. She quickly blocked my attack and pushed me away. She awkwardly swung at me and I easily sidestepped it for a counter-attack, tripping her feet from underneath her and sending her to the ground. "Your form is a little sloppy, Serah, but that can be improved. Let's try this again." I walked up behind her and grabbed her hands, showing her the correct way to handle a sword mid-swing. She tried again and almost clipped my shoulder. "Very good, Serah," I congratulated.

I trained with her for another hour or so before we were both tired. "Whew, that was great, Yami," she said, catching her breath. Her pink hair was soaking wet with sweat and was clinging to her face. She brushed it aside and walked over to me. "I feel stronger already."

"You're getting better, but there's always room for improvement. If you were to train a few more years, you may even be able to fight me at my full strength," I said. "I have to hold back, or my Darkness would vaporize your Pure Light heart, and that would be very bad!"

"Yeah, but at least I'm getting better," she said. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pass out on my bed…or here on the floor!" Serah sat down hard on the ground and closed her eyes. The poor, little girl was so tired, and I couldn't blame her. She fought her heart out during that session.

I carried her to our room and lay her down on the bed. I was very proud of her and all her hard work and sacrifice. She looked so peaceful asleep like that, and I envied her innocence. I smiled and left her alone to seep in peace. I walked to the bridge of the ship and sat alone at the controls. It just wasn't the same without John in the other chair, but I knew he'd gone to a better place. Mom and dad had probably already told Fang, and she was probably devastated by the news. I'd be the same way if I'd lost my husband. I couldn't even imagine the pain she must have been going through. I truly felt sorry for the woman, and it hurt me to think of it. I tried to get my mind off of it by playing a game of Solitaire on the ship's computer. That helped, but I eventually got bored with it. We still had another hour at light-speed until we got to Halloween Town, so I was at a loss of what to do.

I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until the computer loudly announced our arrival on Halloween Town. Hikari and Serah came to the bridge to find me dazed from the sudden wake-up call. "Are you guys ready to go?" I asked.

Both of them nodded and we headed for the ring platform. I typed in the code to beam us down and we were transported to the surface. It was night time on the world, and all the ghosts and monsters were busily preparing for Halloween. We walked through the square, and Serah seemed frightened by the inhabitants. "Don't worry, they're friendly," I said. "They're just the people who live here, like the people of Atlantica are mermaids and the Pride Lands' people are lions and hyenas. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Serah lightened up a bit, but still remained defensive as we left the town. I didn't want to risk running into Jack or Sally and getting them involved in this. We moved in the shadows, which there were plenty of, and made our way to Oogie's mansion. There was still some wreckage around, so Hikari and I used a spell to form a small headquarters from the debris. The three of us entered it and prepared for the fight of our lives, knowing Marluxia would be able to track us to the world.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you enjoy it? Sorry it was so short, but I wanted to go ahead and finish it tonight, plus I didn't know how I could continue this chapter anyway. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	10. Dawn Breaks: Final Chapter

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update and for skipping the update for Her Scars. I have been blocked over the holiday season and I decided to end Light and Dark here. This will be the final chapter with the final battles. I've enjoyed writing this story and have two more stories in the Hearts series planned. One will be a prequel to Hearts of the Olympians and a sequel to Shattered Hearts. It is, for now, called A Meeting of Fate and is about how John and Fang met, as requested by 16afoster. The other is the sequel of this story and will be, once again, about Yami. But this time, it will also be the canon debut of Kurami. You've seen her in Silent Kingdom, but this is her true concept. She's not a demon here, but a Heartless and a Nobody. I'll continue the Author Note after the rest of the story. Enjoy this action-packed finale, friends...

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><p>I was on edge from waiting so long. Hikari didn't look much better and Serah was in the corner, polishing her bow. She played around with a few buttons and discovered it could also turn into the most adorable robotic Moogle. We were so shocked that she squeezed the pom-pom on its head and it quickly reverted to a sword. "Well, that was different," she said, trying to laugh off the sudden startle.<p>

"I had no idea it would do that," I said. "But it's still kind of cool. Maybe you can use it as a decoy or something."

"You do know that I have no intention of running away, right?" she asked.

"But you promised me earlier you would survive if something…" I started.

"I only promised I would survive, but I never agreed to run away. When you and Hikari were training, I got a call from your mom," she said. "She told me that she used to be a Princess of Heart like me, that I was born to replace her, and she said I had some kind of power that I didn't even know yet. I'll use that to defeat Marluxia if you two can't defeat him."

"Serah," I sighed. I had no idea how she'd be able to defeat him if we couldn't, but the faith in her eyes was enough to convince me to let her try. Of course, it wasn't like I'd be able to stop her if I was dead.

We waited for hours and prepared for the inevitable. This was going to be the end. One group was walking away, while the other would make their grave here. It was only a matter of time until our enemies would arrive to fight us one, last time.

I heard footsteps outside the makeshift fort and decided to check it out alone. "Wait here," I said. "I'll call for you if I need backup."

Hikari and Serah nodded and I left the shelter. I saw Garanox, even more of his silver hair falling out, standing about fifty feet away from me. "I've come for the girl," he said. "Please hand her over. I absolutely despise physical confrontation." His arms were crossed and he looked completely bored.

"If you want her, you'll have to go through me! Why don't you fight me like you did on Radiant Garden? I'd love to see how you can handle me now," I taunted. If I could get him angry, maybe his rage would distract him long enough for me to finish him off.

"Ahh yes, the power of Vanitas has possessed your body," he said. "I could fight you, but it will destroy you eventually anyway. Just give me the Farron girl so I can leave."

"Are you really that stupid to think I'd just hand over my best friend?" I asked. "You'll not touch a hair on her head!" I drew Kingdom Key D and prepared to fight him, casting a Barthunder spell on myself to protect against his electrified broadsword. He drew the sword and smirked.

"As you wish, girl," he said as he teleported to me and slashed at my stomach. I blocked before he could cut me in half and pushed him away. I cast Waterga, trying to short out his sword, but he dodged it and cast Thundaga. A bolt of lightning hit me, but my Barthunder spell protected me from it. Our swords clashed as sparks flew from them, neither of us knowing whether they came from the contact or from his blade alone. I backflipped and he shot a Firaga my way. I used Reflega and bounced the kinetic energy back at him. It knocked him backwards, but he recovered and used Curaga on himself. I took the opportunity to use my own Cura and recover my strength. I jumped toward him with my Keyblade above my head, but he kicked me in the stomach and I rolled along the ground, the exposed skin of my arms and legs being cut by the sharp rocks. I rolled over to lie on my back and saw Garanox standing over me, his sword poised above my chest ready to strike a fatal blow. "I win, girl," he laughed.

"So you think," I mocked. Suddenly, I changed into my "dark mode" and he was blown back by the surge of Darkness coming from my body. Kingdom Key D morphed into the Dark Destiny's Embrace that I used before. I didn't know how since I thought it was just a modified Destiny's Embrace. But maybe that Keyblade was really a manifestation of my Darkness. "This is the end for you, Garanox!" He charged at me, but I used Zantetsuken and sliced him in half. His two halves fell to the ground behind me, keeping their momentum and landing quite a ways away. He gasped and clawed as he rapidly bled out and died. Time finally caught up with his decomposing body and he turned into dust and was blown away by the wind.

I reverted to my normal form just as Serah and Hikari left the fortress. "What happened, Yami," Serah asked. "Who was out here?"

"It was Garanox, but I defeated him," I said. I was exhausted, but otherwise all right. "I had to use my Darkness, but I'm fine. Are my eyes any more yellow?"

Serah took a good look into my eyes. "Not any more than they have been for the past week," she said. I was relieved. I didn't want to be completely taken over, and what Garanox said about being "possessed" and that it destroy me eventually had me scared of what could happen. But I was still happy that one of our adversaries was finally defeated. That meant less to worry about in the final battle. I knew, however, that he was the weakest. I couldn't defeat Larxene, I knew that, and I didn't know how I could defeat Marluxia. He was probably 10 times stronger than either of them combined.

After recovering my strength, I started guard duty again. Serah and Hikari were in the corner talking while I stood at the door. I looked around at the tiny room. Hikari and I just threw it together with a spell and didn't even think about the size while building it. It was just big enough for the three of us to be comfortable. I didn't know if this would be our grave or what, but I couldn't live in fear of death. If I faltered, then I'd die for sure, but if I remained strong, even if just for Serah's sake, I would have a chance…Serah would have a chance.

I looked at the girl who I'd grown so close to in this week and a half I'd known her. She was a far cry from the fragile, defenseless flower we'd picked up on Radiant Garden. She was strong, brave, and beautiful, more than I ever could be. Sure, she wasn't a Keyblade wielder, but she could be if she wanted to. If we survived, I seriously hoped she would reconsider my offer to take her as my Apprentice. I would be honored to train her and teach her everything mom had passed down to me. I mentally replaced her bow with a Keyblade and the image suited her so well. Her strong heart would be more than enough to manifest one.

"I sense something Dark coming this way," Serah said. She pushed the button on her bow, which she had named Mog because it could transform into a Moogle, and turned it into a sword. "It's…it's them! They're close!"

Hikari and I drew our Keyblades and the three of us ran outside to confront Marluxia and Larxene. I took a deep breath as I saw Marluxia's face for the first time. His thick, pink hair was falling out just like Larxene and Garanox' and his features were rotting away. I turned my attention to John's murderer and shot her an evil look that said "I'm going to kill you." She got the message and laughed at my attempt to scare her. "Marluxia, this is the end of the road for you!" I called out.

"I wouldn't say that," he said. "You were helpless against Relena here, so what makes you think you can defeat me?" He turned his head to Larxene. "Speaking of, I said I'd let you take the first kill, Larxene. You may pick who you want to kill."

"I want Yami," she said with an evil, near-toothless grin. She came toward me with her knives and I re-cast Barthunder to protect myself from her lightning and used similar tactics that I'd used on Garanox. I dodged and blocked as best I could, but she was far too fast for me to handle. I didn't want to risk Dark Mode again, so I tried to fight with my own strength. Larxene kicked me hard and I flew back into the cliff behind me. "You're so pathetic," Larxene mocked. "And I thought you'd be a challenge since you're Sora's daughter. I might as well put you out of your misery right now!" I closed my eyes as I prepared for Larxene to slice my throat with her knives. However, instead of feeling electrified steel across my neck, I heard Larxene howl in pain.

"What…" I wondered until I saw an arrow sticking out of her chest. Two more pierced her stomach and head as she turned to dust just like Garanox had. "Serah…did you…?"

"That'll teach her to mess with my friend!" she said in rage. She lowered Mog and ran over to me. "Yami, are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks to you," I said. "You saved my life!"

"No problem," she said. Our joyful moment was cut short, however, when Marluxia appeared behind her and grabbed her neck. "Ugh…let…me…go…can't…b…breathe!"

"Let her go," I yelled. A green aura was starting to flow from Serah's mouth into Marluxia's. I instantly knew what was happening. He was draining her life force!

"I have finally regained my life!" he laughed maniacally. Serah's eyes rolled back as he tossed her aside. "I couldn't absorb all of her life, but she's lost so much, she'll never survive for very long! Nomura children, you have lost!"

"You monster," Hikari yelled, but Marluxia grabbed his shirt and used his momentum to fling him aside.

"Now, it is time for you to join your friend in death," he said to me. I forced myself to stand.

"No, you killed Serah," I whispered. "I'll never forgive you for this, Marluxia!" I felt Darkness come into my heart, but I didn't stop it this time. I changed into Dark Mode and was surprised I could wield two Keyblades now. One was Kingdom Key D and the other was Dark Destiny's Embrace.

He drew his scythe as the last of his flesh reappeared. Marluxia teleported behind me, but I gained a sudden burst of speed and dodged quickly enough to counterattack. He was surprised by the maneuver and quickly blocked me. I spun around and held my arms out like a propeller. I jumped and managed to cut a lock of Marluxia's hair. He cursed silently at my lucky shot and I deflected a storm of Sakura petals that he sent my way. "Firaga," I said as I burned the petals away. My Darkness surged through my being and I gained even more power. It felt just like when I was possessed by Vanitas' Remnant before I killed myself, but it was still slightly different. I was in complete control of my body this time. I knew that I'd find the inner strength to defeat Marluxia, but not without a little help from the one person who could equal my power.

I ran over to Hikari and helped him stand up. "Hikari, I need you to grab my Kingdom Key and concentrate your Light into it!" I commanded. Hikari nodded in agreement and we mixed our power for the first time in our lives. "This is the end of the road, Marluxia." We unleashed a combined beam of Light and Darkness into Marluxia's stomach. He screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground and bled out.

"No…I…refuse to…be beaten by you!" he struggled as he took his last breath. Time withered away his body in an instant as the green mist left him and dissipated.

"Oh no, Serah," I said. I remembered that he'd taken most of her life force. If we didn't get to her soon, she'd die!

Hikari and I ran over to where Serah was laying and I held her in my arms. "Please, wake up, Serah!" I cried. She was unresponsive and her body was cold. I didn't want to accept it, but Serah was dead. I failed to protect her, I failed to keep my promise to Snow, and though Marluxia was defeated, he had won.

I cried into her pink hair and Hikari hugged us tightly. Not only did Fang lose John, but she'd also lost a friend. Lightning and Snow would also be devastated with the news. I prepared to pick her up and carry her to the Highwind to be placed in a body bag, but suddenly, something happened.

The green mist that had left Marluxia was returning to Serah. It entered her open mouth and slowly, she was regaining some color in her cheeks. Before long, her breathing started back up and her eyes fluttered open. "Yami, Hikari, what happened? Did we beat them?" she asked, slightly dazed but otherwise all right.

"Serah," I squealed in excitement. "Oh God, I'm so happy you're alive! I thought I'd lost you!" I squeezed her tightly but released her when she said she couldn't breathe. "I…I thought I'd lost you."

"You saved me, that's the important thing," she said. "Thank you, Yami, Hikari. You're the best friends I've ever had." The three of us returned to our embrace as we enjoyed the peace that we'd fought so hard to accomplish. I knew, wherever he was, John would be proud of what we'd become.

After composing ourselves and resting for a while, we headed back to Radiant Garden to take Serah home. I would definitely miss her, but I knew it wouldn't be the last time I'd ever see her. We entered the foyer of Hollow Bastion Castle and were met by Snow. "Serah, you're home!" Snow greeted as he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her lovingly. "I was so worried about you. I'm just glad you're safe, baby."

"I missed you, Snow," she said. "Now, we can finally get married like we wanted to!"

"Yeah," Snow said. Fang, Lightning, Vanille, and Hope came following Snow into the room.

"Serah, welcome back," her older sister said as she hugged her and her future brother-in-law tightly. "Thank you so much for keeping her safe."

"You're welcome, Lightning," I said. I turned to Fang with a dark expression. I saw a lone tear escape her eye. "Fang, I'm so sorry about John."

She stared off to the side. "It's ok," she said as she wiped the tear away. "John knew what he was doing when he told you not to heal him. I knew this day would come eventually, but I was hoping I'd be long dead by then. I don't blame you. It was that Larxene's fault. I hope she's burning in the hottest part of Hell right now for what she did to him!"

I walked over and embraced the older woman to try to comfort her. She returned the hug and cried into my shaggy hair. "Thank you," she said. "You avenged him and saved Serah."

"Actually, Serah was the one who killed Larxene," I said. "She saved my life. Serah's quite the archer!"

"She always did have good aim when she would throw rocks from the castle balcony. I was the only one who would let her get away with that kind of mischief," she laughed. "She sure gave their parents a hard time, and Light a hard time after their parents died." Fang let out a sigh. I let go of Fang as we joined the rest of our friends in a celebration of victory. Marluxia was finally dead and Serah was safe. The only thing left to do was enjoy the time with our friends and wait for Serah and Snow's wedding. We achieved a new time of peace.

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><p>Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who read, faved, alerted, and reviewed this story. I understand that it's a general rule that OC stories don't get very popular, but that's the least of my concern. I'm thankful for each and every reader and reviewer. Without you guys, my work would probably be in vain. What's a story if no one reads it, right? Anyway, thank you, all of you. I feel so much joy when I recieve the email telling me that someone reviewed or someone alerted, or someone faved the stories I write. Stay tuned for the future of the Hearts series, Black Dahlia series, and Silent Kingdom. Until next time, friends...<p> 


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